V 


^SEP  15  I960  l 


BX  7795   .S76  D6  1859 
Story,  Thomas,  1662-1742. 
The  doctrines  of  the  Societ 
of  Friends 


THE 


digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/doctrinesofsocieOOstor 


DOCTRINES 

OF  TIIE 

SOCIETY  OF  FRIENDS, 

AS  SET  FORTH  IN 

THE   LIFE  AID  "WRITINGS 

OF 

THOMAS  STORY. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

ASSOCIATION  OF  FRIENDS  FOR  TIIE  DIFFUSION  OF  RELIGIOUS 
AND  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE, 
No.  109  NORTH  TENTH  STREET. 


BRIEF  MEMOIR 


OF 

THOMAS  STORY. 


Of  all  those  firm  upholders  of  the  truth,  whose 
writing  have  come  down  to  us  out  of  the  half-forgot- 
ten  past,  we  know  of  few,  if  any,  better  adapted  to  illus- 
trate the  Christian  principles  of  the  religious  society 
of  Friends  than  Thomas  Story,  —  one  in  whom 
seem  to  have  been  combined  the  earnest,  unwavering 
faith  of  a  true  gospel  minister,  with  the  sound  reason- 
ing and  clear  discrimination  of  a  man  of  high  intel- 
lectual attainments. 

In  offering  to  the  reader  a  brief  outline  of  his 
biography,  with  selections  from  his  writings,  our 
hope  is  to  draw  to  them  the  attention  and  thoughtful 
consideration  of  some  who  might  not  have  time  or 
inclination  to  peruse  them  at  large. 

Before  coming,  however,  to  the  matter  immediately 
in  hand,  a  few  general  observations,  bearing  upon  the 
subject,  may  not  be  out  of  place  in  this  connection. 
An  inward,  iuvisible,  spiritual  Church,  walking  by 
faith,  and  not  by  sight,  and  merged  in,  or  surrounded 
by,  another  outward  or  ceremonial  religious  system, 
is  clearly  discernible  far  back  in  the  history  of  our 
race.    In  the  days  of  Elijah  the  Prophet,  the  Priest 


4 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


and  the  Levite,  who  should  have  been  shepherds  of 
the  flock,  had  fled  from  their  posts,  and  the  great 
mass  of  the  chosen  people,  with  their  wicked  rulers, 
were  left  to  worship  Baal  in  the  groves  and  upon  the 
high  places:  yet  were  there  in  Israel  seven  thousand 
souls  who  bowed  not  down  to  the  false  idol,  but  con- 
tinued faithfully  serving  the  God  of  their  fathers. 

Long  ages  after,  as  we  follow  down  the  history  of 
the  same  wondrous  people,  who  then,  as  formerly,  may 
be  considered  as  representing  the  outward  Church,  we 
shall  find  the  priests  and  high  professors  of  the  day 
ready  to  deliver  up  the  Saviour  of  mankind  to  the 
scourge  and  the  cross;  and  only  a  few  poor  fishermen 
and  weeping  women  followed  afar  olf,  fearful  and 
trembling,  but  faithful  unto  death.  Again,  in  after- 
years,  and  under  a  new  dispensation,  while  Rome's 
proud  hierarchy  stood  with  their  feet  upon  the  necks 
of  kings,  and  from  her  stately  temples  mocked  Chris- 
tianity with  half-heathen  rites,  a  few  poor  peasants, 
hunted  through  caves  and  forests,  still  testified  at  the 
gibbet  and  the  stake  that  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  must 
be  worshipped  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  These  true 
believers,  thus  following  after  the  light  that  was  still 
clearly  shining  for  them,  though  all  around  was  dark- 
ness, kept  alive,  through  the  long  night  of  apostasy, 
a  feeble  remnant  of  the  real  Church  until  the  dawn- 
ing of  a  brighter  day,  —  that  glorious  epoch,  when 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  buried  for  ages  in  an  unknown 
language,  was  given  to  the  people  in  their  mother 
tongue.     The   long-imprisoned  utterances   of  the 


THOMAS  STORY. 


5 


Spirit,  bursting  forth  like  a  mighty  earthquake,  shook 
Europe  to  her  centre  for  half  a  century;  nor  did  the 
good  work  cease  until  that  most  cunningly  devised 
system  which,  by  availing  itself  of  the  intense  longing 
of  the  human  soul  for  a  Church  universal,  broad 
enough  to  take  in  the  whole  race,  and  by  substituting 
for  such  a  Church  those  false  rites  and  shadowy  sym- 
bols, had  so  long  held  all  Christendom  under  her  iron 
rule,  was  cast  down  from  her  high  places,  and  a  new 
and  far  purer  system,  though  still  not  perfect,  took 
its  place.  In  short,  the  Reformation  had  been  brought 
about  ;  a  work  great  and  glorious  indeed  had  been 
wrought  out  in  the  earth,  yet  far  short,  evidently,  of 
a  restoration  of  the  Church  to  her  condition  in  apos- 
tolic times.  The  various  sects  calling  themselves 
Protestants,  as  protesting  against  the  abuses  of  Rome, 
yet  widely  differing  among  themselves  in  many  par- 
ticulars, all  united  in  retaining  certain  outward  ordi- 
nances, and,  with  these  ordinances,  a  separate,  paid 
body  of  men  to  administer  them,  called  by  various 
names,  but  in  reality  (to  all  intents  and  purposes)  a 
priesthood,  a  large  body  of  them  claiming  and  appro- 
priating to  themselves,  as  successors  of  the  sons  of 
Levi  under  a  former  dispensation,  a  tenth  part  of  all 
that  the  people  possessed.  Such  a  priestly  order,  we 
contend,  is  incompatible  with  Christianity  as  esta- 
blished by  its  blessed  Founder.  One  Priest  we  have, 
eternal  in  the  Heavens,  even  Christ,  and  need  no 
other.  Out  of  Judith  was  to  come  no  priest,  but  out 
of  Levi,  which  priesthood  is  passed  away.  In  the 
1* 


6 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


primitive  Christian  Church  was  no  separate  order  of 
men  corresponding  to  what  is  now  called  the  clergy; 
but  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  all  true  mem- 
bers, but  not  the  same  gifts  to  all :  to  one,  prophecy 
or  preaching,  to  another,  teaching,  and  various  other 
gifts,  as  of  tongues,  &c.  Nor  did  they  teach  or  preach 
at  their  own  fixed  times  and  seasons,  but  spake  only 
as  they  were  moved  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Such  a  Church,  we  believe,  Christ  founded  upon 
earth  then;  and  such  ought  to  be  his  Church  to-day; 
for  hath  he  not  declared,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world"?  Let  us  search  and  ex- 
amine if  there  has  been  since  the  days  of  Paul,  or  if 
there  be  now,  any  sect,  calling  themselves  Christian, 
who  seek  after  and  believe  in  a  Church  with  these 
good  gifts. 

Our  subject  now  demands  that  we  leave  these 
general  observations,  and  turn  our  attention  to  the 
British  islands,  and  to  a  most  memorable  epoch 
in  their  religious  as  well  as  their  political  history. 
The  period  to  which  we  refer  is  the  first  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  the  eve  of  that  revolution  which 
was  to  result  in  the  overthrow  of  absolute  monarchy 
in  England,  and  in  the  death  of  the  ill-fated  prince  who 
strove  so  blindly  to  contend  against  the  [righteous] 
indignation  of  a  long-suffering  and  persecuted  people. 
With  this  great  social  revulsion  were  brought  to  the 
surface  new  and  strange  religious  doctrines.  The 
Episcopal  or  established  Church,  in  the  downfall  of 
the  secular  power  with  which  it  had  been  so  long 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


allied,  soon  lost  its  ancient  prestige,  and  a  host  of 
would-be  reformers  made  their  appearance  on  the 
stage.  Presbyterianisin  would  fain  have  clad  herself 
in  the  mantle  which  was  falling  from  the  shoulders 
of  the  Prelacy,  and  have  seated  herself  in  high  places. 
This  consummation  was,  however,  prevented  by  the 
prominent  position  now  taken  by  a  third  sect,  differ- 
ing as  widely  in  its  peculiar  tenets  from  the  Presby- 
terians as  did  the  former  from  the  ancient  establish- 
ment. These  last — the  Independents,  as  they  were 
called — professed  a  new  and  peculiar  doctrine :  no 
written  creeds  or  confessions  of  faith  had  been  trans- 
mitted from  a  former  generation  to  this  band  of  stern 
enthusiasts  :  holding  the  belief  that  the  only  real 
source  of  knowledge  in  relation  to  religion  was  to  be 
found  in  an  inward  revelation,  they  possessed  no 
settled  clergy.  Any  member  of  their  society,  pro- 
fessing to  have  received  the  gift  of  preaching  from 
an  inward,  spiritual  revelation,  was  listened  to  with 
the  deepest  reverence,  as  delivering  an  inspired  mes- 
sage. It  was  no  unusual  thing  in  the  army  of  the 
Commonwealth  (whose  ranks  were  principally  re- 
cruited from  the  sect  described)  for  generals  to 
preach  at  the  head  of  their  divisions,  captains  to 
their  companies,  or  even  private  soldiers  to  such  of 
their  fellows  as  were  disposed  to  hear  them. 

In  such  a  state  of  affairs,  it  would  be  natural  to 
look  for  a  general  toleration  of  religious  opinion;  but 
such  does  not  appear  to  have  been  the  case.  Church- 
men, Presbyterians,  and  Independents  were  equally 


8 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


ready  to  persecute  each  other,  and  all  who  might  hold 
religious  opinions  at  variance  with  their  own  special 
dogmas. 

As  the  primitive  Christian  Church  never  persecuted 
for  conscience'  sake,  and  since  the  Saviour  has  him- 
self declared  that  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world, 
neither  was  to  be  set  up  and  sustained  by  war  and 
bloodshed,  no  one  of  these  religious  bodies  can  with 
justice  claim  to  have  been  thorough  reformers,  or  to 
have  restored  in  any  great  degree  that  Christianity 
which  characterized  the  Church  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles.  As  has  been  the  case  throughout  all  time, 
we  are  not  to  look  among  the  great  and  the  powerful 
for  those  deep  things  of  the  Spirit,  which  have  been 
ever  hidden  from  the  wise  and  prudent  of  this  world 
but  have  been  made  plain  to  all  who  were  lowly  and 
simple-hearted. 

In  the  same  year  that  the  royal  standard  of 
King  Charles  I.  had  been  set  up  on  the  castle  of 
Nottingham,  a  young  man,  the  son  of  one  Chris- 
topher Fox,  a  weaver  of  Drayton,  in  Leicestershire, 
began  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lived,  by  his  singular  behavior.  Born 
in  1624,  he  had  about  this  period — the  year  1642 — 
attained  his  nineteenth  year.  Even  in  his  early 
childhood  he  had  been  remarkable  for  the  gravity  of 
his  deportment,  for  the  endeavors  he  made  to  live  a 
pure  and  righteous  life,  and  for  his  rigid  regard  for 
the  truth  in  all  his  communications.  Up  to  the 
period  referred  to,  he  had  resided  at  home  with  his 


THOMAS    S  T  O  It  Y. 


0 


relations,  when,  having  been  solicited  by  his  com- 
panions to  join  in  some  of  their  merry-makings,  of 
which  he  could  not  approve,  so  great  a  weight  came 
upon  his  spirit  that  he  could  not  sleep  that  night ; 
but,  passing  the  night  in  earnest  prayer  to  the  Lord, 
it  appeared  to  him  that  his  supplications  were  an- 
swered in  these  words,  as  it  were  spoken  in  his  heart : 
— "'Thou  seest  how  young  people  go  together  into 
vanity,  and  old  people  into  the  earth  :  therefore  thou 
must  forsake  all,  both  3"oung  and  old,  and  be  a  stranger 
unto  them."  Taking  this  for  a  divine  admonition, 
he  left  his  home  and  friends  and  commenced  a 
solitary  pilgrimage.  Thus  separating  himself  from 
the  world,  he  passed  much  time  in  reading  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  also  fasted  frequently.  In  this  solitary 
condition  he  underwent  great  inward  suffering,  so 
much  so  that  he  strove  in  various  ways  to  get  from 
under  it,  often  consulting  the  ministers  and  professors 
of  several  religious  denominations ;  but  from  them  he 
derived  no  comfort.  One  old  minister  to  whom  he 
had  applied  for  information  in  regard  to  the  ground 
of  despair  and  temptation,  advised  him  to  take  tobacco 
and  sing  psalms.  To  this  Fox  replied  that  he  was 
no  lover  of  tobacco,  and  as  for  psalms,  he  was  in  no 
condition  to  sing  them.  Finding,  at  last,  that  none 
of  those  from  whose  counsel  he  hoped  to  have  derived 
advantage  were  at  all  capable  of  even  comprehending 
his  spiritual  condition,  and  much  less  of  giving  him 
any  relief  therein,  he  was  led  to  believe  that  consola- 
tion and  enlightenment  for  him  were  only  to  be  ob- 


10 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


tained  by  a  patient  waiting  for  the  manifestations  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  secret  of  his  own  soul. 

Thus,  faithfully  waiting  on  the  Lord,  the  dark 
clouds  upon  his  mind  were  taken  away,  and  he  felt 
his  soul  to  be  illumined  by  that  light  which  is  de- 
clared in  Scripture  "  to  enlighten  every  man  that 
cometh  into  the  world."  By  this  light  he  believed 
it  was  revealed  to  him  that  neither  a  learned  educa- 
tion and  a  proficiency  in  the  ancient  languages,  nor 
any  outward  priestly  ordination,  could  qualify  any  one 
for  the  true  gospel  ministry.  He  saw  that  the  Lord's 
true  ministers  must,  in  those  latter  days,  be  sent  and 
qualified  for  that  office  by  the  same  Holy  Spirit  which 
had  sent  forth  the  first  apostles.  Believing  himself 
to  be  thus  called  and  qualified,  he  was  constrained  to 
go  forth  and  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  being 
already  come  unto  all  those  who  had  faith  to  believe, 
and  to  receive  Christ  Jesus,  the  ever-living  Word,  in 
his  second  or  spiritual  coming.  Thus,  clothed  with 
authority,  and  trusting  that  words  should  be  given 
him  to  speak,  he  wandered  from  city  to  city,  through 
town  and  country,  in  the  market-places,  and  in  the 
places  of  public  worship,  calling  on  all  people,  of 
whatever  age,  sex,  or  condition,  to  look  in  their  own 
hearts  for  the  teaching  of  that  divine  grace  which 
should  lead  them  from  sin  and  darkness  into  all  truth, 
and  deliver  them  out  of  their  fallen  state  into  a  con- 
dition of  freedom  from  sin. 

He  taught  that  true  baptism  was  not  a  baptism  of 
wrater,  to  put  away  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the 


THOMAS  STORY. 


11 


cleansing  of  the  human  soul  from  sin  ;  that  the  out- 
ward eating  of  bread  and  wine  could  not  represent 
the  true  supper  of  the  Lord ;  but  that  the  Saviour's 
words  on  the  memorable  occasion  of  the  last  passover 
were  intended  rather  to  warn  his  disciples  that  this 
Jewish  ordinance  was  no  longer  to  be  continued  in, 
than  to  enjoin  it  upon  them  as  an  essential  part  of, 
his  new  dispensation  ;  that  all  wars  and  fighting  were 
contrary  to  the  direct  teaching  of  our  Lord.  He  bore 
a  testimony  against  all  oaths,  as  unlawful  under  the 
new  dispensation,  citing  the  direct  command  of 
Christ,  "  Swear  not  at  all." 

These  doctrines,  we  can  well  understand,  sounded 
strangely  in  the  ears  of  that  generation,  (as  indeed 
they  do  to  many  even  at  this  day,)  aud  the  promul- 
gator of  them  soon  found  that  his  path  was  beset  with 
toils  and  dangers  innumerable. 

The  clergy,  fearing  that  with  the  abolition  of  out- 
ward ordinances  and  human  ordination  their  own 
occupation  would  be  gone,  began  to  stir  up  a  bitter 
persecution  against  this  bold  innovator. 

Magistrates  issued  warrants  for  his  apprehension, 
and  cast  him  into  loathsome  dungeons,  among  felons 
and  murderers,  there  to  languish  for  weeks  and 
months  together.  He  was  ofttimes  thrown  down 
and  cruelly  beaten  and  mangled,  stoned  by  the  mob 
through  the  towns  and  villages,  and  so  cruelly  mal- 
treated in  various  ways,  as  to  be  put  often  in  great 
peril  of  his  life. 

All  this  could  not  deter  him  from  the  work  to 


L2 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


which  he  had  been  called ;  but,  patiently  bearing  all 
these  persecutions,  making  no  effort  at  resistance,  he 
turned  his  cheek  to  the  smiter,  and  freely  forgave 
his  cruel  enemies.  Nor  did  this  great  faith  and 
patience  long  go  unrewarded.  Even  from  the  first, 
multitudes  flocked  to  hear  from  all  parts,  and  though 
many  were  callous,  and  violent  against  the  truth,  yet 
many  others,  feeling  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  were 
humbled  and  brought  low  before  him  ;  so  that  some 
who  had  at  first  been  most  bitter  against  this  meek 
and  patient  disciple  became  afterward  warm  and  able 
advocates  of  his  doctrine,  suffering  also  many  perse- 
cutions, some  even  uuto  death,  for  the  truth's  sake. 

Thus  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  raise  up,  from  small 
beginnings,  a  great  congregation,  who  should  worship 
him  in  spirit  and  in  truth, — a  peculiar  people,  living 
in  the  world,  yet  not  of  it,  called  in  derision  Quakers, 
because  they  did  quake  and  tremble  at  the  word  of 
God ;  but  calling  themselves  Friends,  because  they 
are  at  peace  with  all  men,  and,  through  the  love  of 
God  in  their  souls,  would  fain  be  the  friends  of  all 
mankind.  Let  the  fruits  they  have  produced,  and 
the  works  they  have  wrought,  even  to  this  day,  tried 
by  the  touchstone  of  Holy  Scripture,  testify  of  them, 
whether  the  spirit  they  have  followed  be  of  God  or  no. 

Having  thus  briefly  sketched  the  outline  of  the 
rise  and  progress  of  this  peculiar  people,  we  will 
endeavor  more  fully  to  illustrate  their  faith  and 
practice,  in  some  account  of  the  life  and  conversation 
of  one  of  its  individual  members,  whose  eminent 


THOMAS  STORY. 


13 


services  in  the  good  work  of  the  gospel  may  well 
entitle  him  to  be  cited  as  a  fair  example  of  the  whole. 
We  allude  to  Thomas  Story. 

A  period  of  more  than  forty  years  had  elapsed  from 
the  first  preachiDg  of  George  Fox  to  the  beginning 
of  Thomas  Story's  ministry.  King  Charles  the  First 
slept  in  a  bloody  grave.  The  long  session  of  that 
memorable  parliament  had  been  brought  to  a  sudden 
close  by  the  bayonets  of  the  army,  the  great  com- 
mander and  idol  of  the  army,  Cromwell,  in  his  turn, 
had  gone  to  his  account,  and  the  second  Charles  was 
drawing  near  the  end  of  his  life  and  of  his  reign, 
while  the  subject  of  our  memoir  was  still  a  youth. 
The  Thomas  Story  of  our  memoir  was  the  son  of 
Thomas  Story,  of  Justicetown,  in  the  county  of  Cum- 
berland, a  gentleman  of  good  estate  and  standing  in 
the  county,  and  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  or  esta- 
blished Church.  From  his  early  youth,  he  says  in  his 
journal,  "I  believe  the  Lord  had  his  eye  upon  me 
for  my  good,  inclining  my  heart  to  seek  after  him  in 
my  tender  years ;  and  from  hence  I  conclude  arose 
that  early  inclination  I  had  for  solitude,  where  I 
sometimes  had  religious  thoughts,  and  frequently 
read  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  I  ever  loved  above 
all  books,  especially  the  New  Testament,  in  which  I 
chiefly  delighted/' 

Notwithstanding  his  religious  inclinations,  Thomas 
Story,  as  he  grew  up,  found  himself  under  cir- 
cumstances very  disadvantageous  to  religious  ad- 
vancement. His  father,  intending  him  for  a  law- 
2 


14 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


yer,  sent  him  to  a  fencing-school  to  learn  the 
use  of  the  small  sword,  an  accomplishment  con- 
sidered at  that  time  indispensable  to  a  genteel 
education  :  in  this  art  he  became  in  a  short  time 
quite  a  proficient,  and  also  acquired  a  considerable 
skill  in  music.  In  the  exercise  of  these  accomplish- 
ments, he  informs  us,  his  mind  was  much  diverted 
from  serious  things,  though  he  was  preserved  from 
those  things  which  are  generally  accounted  evils 
among  mankind.  Arriving  at  a  proper  age,  he  was 
put  to  the  study  of  the  law  under  a  counsellor  in  the 
country.  The  family  in  which  he  was  placed  were 
religiously  inclined,  being  moderate  Presbyterians. 
Living  at  this  time  a  retired  life,  and  seeing  little  of 
society  at  large,  much  of  his  leisure  was  devoted  to 
silent  meditation,  and  search  after  truth.  Though 
educated  in  the  national  Church  of  England,  he  had 
no  special  prejudices  in  favor  of  that  way  of  worship, 
but  was  frequently  in  the  habit  of  attending  the 
meetings  of  the  other  religious  denominations;  yet 
when  he  came  to  consider  their  doctrines  closely  he 
could  entirely  approve  of  no  one  of  them.  On  one 
occasion  he  attended  the  preaching  of  a  famous 
Presbyterian  minister :  it  was  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  reign  of  Charles  the  Second,  when  persecu- 
tion was  rife  against  all  dissenters  from  the  national 
Church;  and  the  meeting  was  held  at  night,  in  a  pri- 
vate upper  room,  with  a  watch  set  below.  Here,  says 
Thomas,  "  I  expected  to  have  heard  something  like 
doctrine;  but  all  that  he  entertained  the  audience 


THOMAS  STORY. 


15 


with,  was  suggestions  of  dislike  and  jealousy  against 
the  Government  j  and  this  delivered  in  a  way  whicli 
to  me  was  extremely  disagreeable/'  On  another 
occasion  he  attended  a  meeting  of  Friends  at  Brough- 
ton,  in  Cumberland,  but  could  gather  little  either 
from  their  manner  or  doctrine,  but  took  them  to  be 
an  honest,  well-meaning  sect.  Toward  the  latter  end 
of  the  year  1687,  having  completed  his  legal  studies, 
he  came  into  the  city  of  Carlisle,  and  occupied  cham- 
bers there,  with  a  view  to  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. At  this  period  James  II.  was  at  the  height 
of  his  power,  and  making  great  efforts  to  overturn 
Episcopacy,  and  to  introduce  Popery  as  the  esta- 
blished religion.  As  far  as  was  in  the  power  of  the 
king,  all  offices  of  trust  and  emolument  were  bestowed 
upon  Papists;  and,  such  being  the  case,  there  was  no 
scarcity  of  nominal  Protestants,  ready,  for  the  sake 
of  private  advantage,  to  take  a  very  lenient  view  of 
the  errors  of  popery,  so  long  as  such  errors  were 
accompanied  by  the  power  to  bestow  fat  offices  and 
high  dignities. 

The  prospects  of  the  Romanists  being  thus  flatter- 
ing at  the  period  referred  to,  they  grew  correspond- 
ingly imperious  and  insolent  on  all  occasions;  and, 
in  many  instances,  those  whose  duty  it  should  have 
been  to  stand  in  the  breach,  in  defence  of  civil  and 
religious  freedom,  were  only  too  ready  to  aid  and  abet 
in  these  aggressions. 

On  one  occasion,  at  the  Carlisle  assizes,  Thomas 
Story  happened  to  be  dining  at  an  inn  with  a  com- 


16 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


pany  of  gentlemen,  among  whom  were  two  ministers 
of  the  Church  of  England,  when  a  popish  gentleman 
at  the  table  started  a  discussion  on  the  doctrine  of 
transubstantiation,  undertaking  to  prove  from  Scrip- 
ture that,  by  virtue  of  certain  words  pronounced  over 
the  wafer  or  sacramental  bread,  there  was  an  actual 
conversion  of  it  into  the  real  body  of  Christ, — the 
very  same  which  was  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  cruci- 
fied at  Jerusalem,  and  now  ascended  into  heaven. 

The  text  of  Scripture  advanced  in  support  of  this 
doctrine  was,  "  And,  as  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took 
bread  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it  to  the  disciples,  say- 
ing, Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body."  From  which  he 
argued  that  Christ  being  the  Word  of  God,  and  the 
truth,  whatever  he  said  must  be  positively  and 
literally  true;  and  therefore  there  is  a  real  change 
of  the  bread  into  the  actual  body  of  Christ;  and,  this 
being  an  ordinance  of  God  to  his  ministers,  the  same 
power  is  annexed  to  that  ordinance,  since  he  com- 
manded them  to  do  the  same  thing,  saying,  "  This  do 
in  remembrance  of  me."  During  this  harangue  the 
zeal  of  our  young  seeker  after  truth  was  kindled  to 
such  a  degree  that  he  could  with  difficulty  keep 
silent ;  but.  being  then  very  young  and  diffident,  he 
said  nothing  for  some  time,  expecting  that  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Protestant  Church  would  have  certainly 
attacked  the  Papist's  position ;  but  as  they  hung  down 
their  heads,  and  appeared  busy  with  their  plates,  he 
could  keep  silent  no  longer,  but  replied  in  the  follow- 
ing remarks,  which  appear  to  us  a  most  clear  and 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


17 


logical  refutation  of  that  absurd  dogma,  for  which  so 
much  blood  has  been  shed  and  so  many  Christian 
martyrs  have  suffered  cruel  torture,  and  yet  for  which 
even  the  great  Martin  Luther,  while  he  trusted  in 
the  letter,  and  neglected  the  spirit,  was  a  strenuous 
advocate. 

M  You  of  the  Church  of  Rome  take  these  words  lite- 
rally ;  but  we  take  the  whole  form  of  his  speech  at 
that  time,  on  that  subject,  to  be  figurative;  and  that 
these  words,  'This  is  my  body/  intended  no  more 
than,  This  bread  is  a  symbol,  or  figure,  or  representa- 
tion, of  my  body,  which  shall  shortly  hereafter  be 
broken  for  you;  for  we  ought  not  to  divide  the  sen- 
tence or  speech  of  Christ,  and  take  one  part  literally 
and  another  figuratively.  And  you  may  remember 
that,  at  the  same  time,  he  also  took  the  cup,  saying, 
'  This  cup  is  the  New  Testament,  in  my  blood,  which 
is  shed  for  you.'  Do  you  think  that  that  cup,  whether 
of  gold,  silver,  glass,  or  wood,  was  the  New  Testa- 
ment? Or  can't  jou  see  that  in  this  latter  part  of 
his  speech  there  is  a  double  figure  ?  First,  the  thing 
containing  for  the  thing  contained  :  and  secondly,  the 
wine  in  the  cup,  exhibited  under  the  word  cup,  as  a 
figure  or  representation  of  his  blood ;  which  was  not 
then  actually  or  literally  shed,  or  his  body  broken. 
And  seeing  he  said,  in  the  present  tense,  '  This  is 
my  body,  which  is  broken  (not  to  be  broken)  for  you; 
and  this  cup  is  the  New  Testament  in  my  blood, 
which  is  (not  which  shall  hereafter  be)  shed  for 
you;'  you  must  either  own  that  Christ  advanced  a 
2* 


is 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


false  proposition,  which  you  will  not;  or  that  he 
spoke  figuratively  in  both  sentences,  which  you  can- 
not reasonably  avoid.  Besides,  the  words  uttered  by 
Christ  himself  did  not  work  that  effect  you  imagine; 
for  no  man  can  call  a  thing  by  any  name,  denoting 
its  existence,  before  it  is  that  thing  which  it  is  called; 
[then  taking  up  a  plate]  no  man,  for  instance,  can 
truly  and  literally  say,  This  is  a  plate,  if  it  were  not 
a  plate  before.  Then,  by  a  parity  of  reason  and 
truth,  Christ  could  not  say,  This  bread  is  my  body,  if 
it  were  not  his  body  before.  Therefore  these  words 
made  no  alteration,  for  it  was  so  before :  these  words 
were  only  declarative  of  what  was  before,  and  not 
initiatory,  or  commeucive,  of  a  new  being,  which  was 
not  there  before.  Again,  if  ever  these  words  had 
effected  a  transubstantiation,  they  would  when  Christ 
himself  uttered  them.  Consider  then,  pray,  that  as 
soon  as  Christ  began  to  speak  these  words,  '  This  is 
my  body,'  the  body  of  Christ,  born  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  began  to  cease  to  be  his  body,  and  the  bread 
begau  to  convert  into  it;  and  that,  as  soon  as  the 
words  were  finished,  the  body  born  of  the  Virgin 
altogether  ceased  to  be  what  it  was  before,  and,  by 
a  new  way  of  corporeal  transmigration,  insinuated 
itself  into  the  bread;  which,  by  the  same  degrees 
that  the  body  of  Christ  ceased  to  be  his  body,  com- 
menced, proceeded,  grew,  and  became  his  body;  or 
else  he  had  two  bodies  present  with  his  disciples  at 
the  same  time ;  and  if  they  eat  his  body  that  evening, 
what  body  was  that  which  was  crucified  the  next 


THOMAS  STORY. 


11* 


day?  And  what  blood  was  then  shed,  if,  the  night 
before,  the  disciples  had  drank  the  blood  of  Jesus  in 
a  proper  and  literal  sense,  and  without  a  figure  ?  And 
where  now  is  that  same  cup  ?  If  you  have  lost  that, 
you  have,  in  your  own  sense,  lost  the  New  Testament, 
and  all  your  share  therein.  Now,  if  you  can  persuade 
me  and  this  company  out  of  our  senses  and  under- 
standings, so  that  we  may  be  able  to  believe,  against 
both,  that  a  piece  of  bread  is  the  body  of  Christ,  and 
a  cup  of  wine  is  his  blood,  then  you  may  bid  fair  for 
our  conversion,  or  rather  perversion,  to  your  religion. 
But,  till  you  can  do  that,  you  cannot  reasonably 
expect  we  should  embrace  so  great  absurdities. "  Upon 
this,  several  of  the  company  laughed  j  and  the  Papist 
said  these  were  great  mysteries,  and  the  subject 
copious  and  intricate,  and  could  not  at  that  time  be 
fully  prosecuted,  but  might  be  more  largely  discussed 
at  some  other  convenient  opportunity.  I  replied, 
"Then  why  did  you  move  it?  Could  you  think  we 
would  all  sit  silent,  to  hear  you  propagate  such 
notions,  and  make  no  opposition  V  And  so  the  matter 
dropped.  But,  though  I  had  thus  opposed  him,  he 
showed  more  respect  to  me  afterward  than  to  any 
other  of  the  company. 

After  the  dinner  was  over,  and  the  ministers,  with 
Thomas  Story,  meeting  in  another  apartment,  they 
complimented  him  highly  on  his  able  defence  of 
Protestantism.  This  flattery,  however,  only  drew  from 
him  a  severe  reproof  of  their  cowardice  and  tempo- 


20 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


rizing,  and  he  left  them  with  a  greatly-diminished 
respect  both  for  such  a  clergy  and  for  all  mere  out- 
ward professors  of  religion. 

Not  long  after  this  occurrence,  toward  the  end  of 
August,  1688,  that  true  Protestant  and  noble  advocate 
of  true  liberty  of  conscience,  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
arrived  in  England;  and  forthwith  the  same  clergy 
who  had,  while  the  power  of  James  II.  continued, 
been  strenuously  advocating  the  doctrine  of  passive 
obedience  and  non-resistance  to  the  royal  authority 
to  their  hearers,  ran  considerable  risk  of  being  them- 
selves found  in  open  rebellion.  Amid  these  changes 
and  revolutions  in  public  affairs,  the  readiness  with 
which  those  whom  our  friend  had  been  accustomed 
to  look  up  to  in  all  matters  of  religion  were  willing 
to  adapt  their  doctrine  to  suit  their  own  temporal 
advancement,  brought  his  mind  into  a  close  examina- 
tion of  the  true  nature  of  worship  j  and,  under  a  sense 
of  humiliation  and  sorrow  for  his  own  want  of  an 
experimental  knowledge  of  God,  he  often  prayed  for 
the  divine  guidance  and  help  in  a  concern  of  such 
vital  importance. 

Thus,  turning  away  from  all  outward  creeds  and 
professions,  and  looking  only  within,  he  there  found 
a  principle  manifesting  itself  as  a  faithful  reprover 
of  all  sin;  and  though,  says  he,  (iI  knew  not  then 
what  this  reprover  was,  yet  it  exerted  upon  me  such 
an  influence  as  to  reform  me  from  those  habits  which 
in  time  might  have  been  the  foundation  of  great  evils." 
Though  thus  reproved  and  influenced,  there  were  yet 


THOMAS  STORY. 


21 


many  tempting  allurements  offered  to  lead  him  away 
from  serious  consideration.  Young  and  accomplished, 
with  an  intellect  far  above  the  common,  and  cultivated 
to  a  high  degree,  his  slightest  efforts  might  have  put 
him  in  possession  of  the  best  gifts  which  this  world 
has  to  bestow  upon  her  favorite  children.  At  this 
time,  he  informs  us,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  wearing 
a  sword  and  carrying  fire-arms  when  he  travelled 
abroad,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the  use  of  these 
weapons  :  at  the  same  time,  he  was  never  quarrel- 
some, making  it  a  rule  never  to  offend  or  give  an 
affront  to  any  one  designedly,  and  was  always  ready 
to  apologize  if  he  had  inadvertently  given  offence. 
Yet,  with  all  this,  he  was  determined  always  to  resent 
and  punish  any  intentional  insult.  Such  an  insult,  he 
informs  us,  he  never  met  with  but  on  one  occasion, 
and  then  kept  to  his  own  maxims  successfully, 
managing  neither  to  wound  nor  to  be  wounded. 

In  process  of  time,  as  these  worldly  dispositions 
would  have  grown  strong  in  him,  he  was  favored  to 
more  fully  comprehend  the  true  nature  and  end  of 
all  such  things,  and  the  necessity  of  the  great  work 
of  regeneration  began  to  be  deeply  impressed  upon 
his  mind,  while  at  the  same  time,  feeling  that  hither- 
to he  had  no  experience  of  such  a  work  wrought  in 
himself,  and  realizing  forcibly  the  uncertainty  of 
human  life,  great  fear  came  upon  him,  and  with  it  a 
sense  of  the  vanity  and  worthlessness  of  all  worldly 
power  and  greatness.  About  this  time  a  narrow 
escape  from  death,  by  his  horse  falling,  had  the  effect 


22 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


to  bring  most  vividly  before  him  the  urgent  and 
absolute  necessity  of  some  preparation  for  that  awful 
event;  and  being  thus  brought  into  closer  self-exami- 
nation, and  not  finding  himself  in  a  fit  condition  for 
heaven, — as  yet  having  no  evidence  of  that  necessary 
work  of  regeneration  in  his  own  soul, — a  settled  sad- 
ness and  grief  came  upon  his  spirit,  from  which  he 
could  not  escape  until,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  he 
was  favored  with  a  clearer  knowledge  and  a  better 
state.  Hitherto  he  had  known  the  grace  of  God 
only  as  making  manifest  sin  and  evil  in  himself,  and 
reproving  and  condemning  all  the  thoughts,  desires, 
passions,  and  affections  which  belong  to  man's  first 
or  carnal  nature,  and  had  not  yet  experienced  it  as 
able  to  work  in  him  faith,  sanctification,  consolation, 
and  redemption.  Yet  the  Lord  did  not  leave  him 
here,  but  in  great  mercy  followed  him  still  more 
closely,  until  the  good  work  should  be  completed; 
and  here,  quoting  from  his  autobiography,  we  would 
invite  the  attention  of  our  readers  to  the  following 
extract  from  his  journal : — 

"  Being  moved  by  his  own  free  mercy  and  goodness, 
even  in  the  same  love  in  which  he  sent  his  Son,  the 
beloved,  into  the  world,  to  seek  and  save  the  lost; 
on  the  1st  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  evening, 
in  the  year,  according  to  the  common  account,  1689, 
being  alone  in  my  chamber,  the  Lord  brake  in  upon 
me  unexpectedly,  quick  as  lightning  from  the 
heavens,  and  as  a  righteous,  all-powerful,  all-know- 
ing, and  sin-condemning  Judge ;  before  whom  my 


THOMAS  STORY. 


23 


soul,  as  in  the  deepest  agony,  trembled,  was  con- 
founded and  amazed,  and  filled  with  such  awful  dread 
as  no  words  can  reach  or  declare. 

"  My  mind  seemed  plunged  into  utter  darkness,  and 
eternal  condemnation  appeared  to  enclose  me  on  every 
side,  as  in  the  centre  of  the  horrible  pit, — never  to 
see  redemption  thence,  or  the  face  of  him  in  mercy, 
whom  I  had  sought  with  all  my  soul.  But  in  the 
midst  of  this  confusion  and  amazement,  where  no 
thought  could  be  formed,  or  any  idea  retained,  save 
eternal  death  possessing  my  whole  man,  a  voice  was 
formed  and  uttered  in  me : — '  Thy  will,  0  God,  be 
done  :  if  this  be  thy  act  alone,  and  not  my  own,  I 
yield  my  soul  to  thee.'  In  conceiving  these  words 
from  the  Word  of  Life,  I  quickly  found  relief :  there 
was  all-healing  virtue  in  them  •  and  the  effect  was  so 
swift  and  powerful,  that,  even  in  a  moment,  all  my 
fears  vanished,  as  if  they  had  never  been,  and  my 
mind  became  calm  and  still,  and  simple  as  a  little 
child  j  the  day  of  the  Lord  dawned  and  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  arose  in  me,  with  divine  healing  and 
restoring  virtue  in  his  countenance;  and  he  became 
the  centre  of  my  mind. 

"In  this  wonderful  operation  of  the  Lord's  power, 
denouncing  judgment  in  tender  mercy,  and  in  the 
hour  of  my  deepest  concern  and  trial,  I  lost  my  old 
self,  and  came  to  the  beginning  of  the  knowledge  of 
Him,  the  just  and  Holy  One,  whom  my  soul  had 
longed  for.  I  now  saw  the  whole  body  of  sin  con- 
demned in  my  own  flesh ;  not  by  particular  acts,  as 


24 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


whilst  travelling  in  the  way  to  a  perfect  moral  state 
only,  but  by  one  stroke  and  sentence  of  the  great 
Judge  of  all  the  world,  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead, 
the  whole  carnal  mind,  with  all  that  dwelt  therein, 
was  wounded,  and  death  begun;  as  self-love,  pride, 
evil  thoughts,  and  every  evil  desire,  with  the  whole 
corruption  of  the  first  state  and  natural  life. 

"Here  I  had  a  taste  and  view  of  the  agony  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  of  his  death  and  state  upon  the  cross, 
when  the  weight  of  the  sins  of  all  human  kind  were 
upon  him,  and  when  he  trod  the  wine-press  alone, 
with  none  to  assist  him.  Now  all  my  past  sins  were 
pardoned  and  done  away;  my  own  willings,  runnings, 
searchings,  and  strivings  were  at  an  end  j  and  all  my 
carnal  reasonings  and  conceivings  about  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  and  the  mysteries  of  religion,  were 
over ;  which  had  long  exercised  my  mind,  being  then 
natural,  both  day  and  night,  and  taken  away  my 
desire  of  food  and  natural  repose.  But  now  my  sor- 
rows ended,  and  my  anxious  cares  were  done  away ; 
and  this  true  fear  being,  to  me,  the  initiation  into 
wisdom,  I  now  found  the  true  sabbath,  a  holy,  heavenly, 
divine,  and  free  rest,  and  most  sweet  repose.  This 
deep  exercise  being  over,  I  slept  till  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  had  greater  and  better  refreshment  and 
comfort  than  I  had  felt  for  some  weeks  before. 

"  The  next  day  I  found  my  mind  calm  and  free  from 
anxiety,  in  a  state  like  that  of  a  young  child.  In 
this  condition  I  remained  till  night;  and  about  the 
same  time  in  the  evening  that  the  visitation,  before 


THOMAS  STORY. 


25 


related,  came  upon  me,  my  whole  nature  and  being, 
both  mind  and  body,  was  filled  with  the  divine  pre- 
sence in  a  manner  I  had  never  known  before,  nor  had 
ever  thought  that  such  a  thing  could  be,  and  of 
which  none  can  form  any  idea  but  what  the  Holy 
thing  itself  doth  give. 

"  Divine  Truth  was  now  self-evident :  there  wanted 
nothing  else  to  prove  it.  I  needed  not  to  reason  about 
him;  all  that  was  superseded  by  that  divine  and 
truly  wonderful  evidence  and  light,  which  proceeded 
from  himself  alone,  leaving  no  place  for  doubt,  or 
any  question  at  all.  For  as  the  sun,  in  the  open 
firmament  of  heaven,  is  not  discovered  or  seen,  but 
by  his  own  light,  and  the  mind  of  man  determines 
thereby,  at  sight,  and  without  any  train  of  reasoning, 
what  he  is,  even  so,  and  more  than  so,  by  the  over- 
shadowing influence  and  divine  virtue  of  the  Highest, 
was  my  soul  assured  that  it  was  the  Lord.  I  saw 
him  in  his  own  light,  by  that  blessed  and  holy 
medium  which  of  old  he  promised  to  make  known 
to  all  nations ;  by  that  eye  which  he  himself  had 
formed  and  opened,  and  also  enlightened  by  the 
emanation  of  his  own  eternal  glory. 

"Thus  I  was  filled  with  perfect  consolation,  which 
none  but  the  Word  of  Life  can  declare  or  give.  It 
was  then,  and  not  till  then,  I  knew  that  God  is  love, 
and  that  perfect  love  which  castcth  out  all  fear.  It 
was  then  I  knew  that  God  is  eternal  light,  and  that 
in  him  is  no  darkness  at  all. 

"I  was  highly  favored  also  with  a  view  of  the  manner 


20 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


of  the  operation  of  the  Almighty,  in  assuming  human 
nature,  and  clothing  therewith  his  inaccessible  divine 
light  and  glory,  even  with  an  innocent,  holy,  and 
divine  soul  and  mind,  homogeneal  to  the  children  of 
men ;  as  with  a  veil,  whereby  the  Most  High  con- 
descended to  the  low  condition  of  man,  and  in  whom 
also  man,  being  refined  as  the  tried  gold,  and  thereby 
fitted  for  the  Holy  One,  can  approach  to  him,  as  by  a 
proper  medium,  and  therein  dwell  with  the  Lord  and 
enjoy  him  forever." 

It  has  been  said,  by  some  in  our  time,  that  the  day 
of  miracles  has  long  since  ceased  on  earth,  and,  so 
far  as  outward  and  tangible  ones  are  concerned,  they 
are  indeed  rare,  (in  this  last  time;)  yet  have  we  not, 
in  this  simple  but  most  graphic  account  of  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  soul,  evidence  incon- 
trovertible of  a  great  and  wonderful  miracle  ? — not, 
indeed,  the  calling  up  from  death  to  life  of  the  frail 
body,  but  the  awakening  from  death  unto  life  ever- 
lasting of  an  immortal  spirit.  And  now,  before  leaving 
this  part  of  our  subject,  it  may  be  well  for  us  deeply 
to  consider  its  bearing  upon  that  all-important  sub- 
ject, the  conversion  of  the  soul,  and  to  examine  a 
little  into  the  manner  in  which  this  particular  con- 
version appeared  to  have  been  brought  about.  Surely 
it  was  not  by  any  human  power :  there  was  no  out- 
ward temple  consecrated  and  set  apart  for  such  a 
work;  no  robed  and  surpliced  priest  was  there  with 
book  and  chalice;  no  deep-toned  organ  filled  the  air 
with  floods  of  melody,  nor  thrilling  words  of  glowing 


T  H  OMAS    STOR  Y. 


27 


eloquence  fell  from  well-trained  lips  upon  the  ear; 
but  alone  in  the  quiet  chamber,  in  the  deep  silence 
of  all  flesh,  an  earnest  spirit,  broken  and  bowed  down 
as  in  the  presence  of  the  great  God  of  all  the  earth, 
is  waiting  in  patience  and  humble  hope  for  the  ap- 
pearing of  Him  who  was  crucified  and  is  risen  again, 
willing  and  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  Nor  did  he 
wait  in  vain;  for  in  the  very  extremity  he  was  enabled 
to  say,  "  Thy  will,  0  Lord,  be  done  j"  and  then,  as 
it  were  in  a  momeut,  a  light  shone  out  of  the  thick 
darkness,  making  manifest  that  as  he  had  been  dead 
in  sin,  so  now,  by  the  power  of  God  alone,  sin  had 
been  slain  in  him,  and  he  had  been  raised  up  from 
this  spiritual  death,  a  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus,  born 
of  the  spirit,  and  brought  into  a  condition  of  holy, 
heavenly  rest,  a  true  and  never-ending  sabbath. 

These  secret  manifestations  of  divine  grace  were  at 
this  time  kept  confined  in  his  own  breast,  no  one 
knowing  as  yet  any  thing  of  them.  An  alteration  was 
evident  in  his  demeanor,  but  the  cause  of  it  was  un- 
explained :  his  usual  manners  and  fashionable  address 
were  now  laid  aside  :  he  gave  up  the  sword,  which  he 
had  worn  hitherto  rather  because  it  was  fashionable 
and  ornamental  than  with  any  design  of  using  it, 
and  also  divested  his  dress  of  all  superfluities  and 
ornaments.  These  particulars  are  mentioned  here, 
since  it  goes  to  show  that,  although  at  this  time 
Thomas  Story  had  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the 
society  of  Friends,  he  was  unconsciously  an  imitator 
of  their  practice  in  this  respect,  and  that,  however 


t 

28  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

trivial  and  unimportant  mere  matters  of  dress  may 
appear  to  some  of  the  younger  members  of  that  society 
in  these  present  times,  we  have  here  the  example  of 
a  true  Christian  convert,  who  certainly  could  have  then 
had  no  sectarian  prejudices  on  the  subject,  for  making 
such  things  a  matter  of  serious  consideration.  He 
now  declined  altogether  attending  the  public  worship 
of  the  society  in  which  he  had  been  educated, — not, 
however,  with  the  intention  of  joining  any  other  sect, 
for  he  was  then  disposed  to  conclude  that  these  views 
were  peculiar  to  himself,  and  that  no  religious  body 
then  existed  with  whom  he  could  unite. 

For  some  time  he  continued  thus  alone  and  retired, 
often  spending  much  time  in  silent  waiting  for  the 
openings  of  divine  grace  in  his  heart,  and  sometimes 
committed  to  writing  his  understanding  and  explana- 
tion of  certain  passages  of  Scripture. 

Among  other  things  written  about  this  period,  he 
has  left  us  the  following  prayer, — so  fervent,  and  so 
applicable  to  the  condition  of  every  earnest  soul,  and 
at  the  same  time  clothed  in  such  beautiful  words,  that 
we  insert  it  here  entire,  not  doubting  that  it  will 
claim  an  attentive  perusal  : — 

"0  almighty,  incomprehensible,  and  infinitely 
merciful  Lord  God,  forasmuch  as  none  can  enter  into 
thy  rest  unless  he  be  regenerated  and  renewed,  I 
humbly  beg,  in  the  name  and  for  the  sake  of  thy  Son 
Christ,  that  thou  wilt  be  pleased  to  wash  me  in  the 
water  of  life,  and  purify  my  polluted  soul  with  the 
holy  fire  of  thine  infinite  love;  that  I  may  live  in 


T  SOMAS    S  T  0  II  Y. 


29 


thee,  and  walk  in  the  living  way  of  truth,  love,  peace, 
joy,  righteousness,  holiness,  temperance,  and  patience, 
so  long  as  thou  art  pleased  to  continue  uie  in  this 
garden  of  labor.  And  be  my  strength,  0  my  right- 
eousness !  that  I  go  not  astray  from  thy  paths,  through 
the  frailty  of  this  earthly  tabernacle;  but  give  me 
daily  the  bread  of  life,  which  thou  freely  holdest 
forth  to  the  hungry  all  the  day  long.  And  inasmuch 
as  none  can  eat  of  this  bread  but  those  who  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness,  give  me  a  fervent 
desire,  0  my  salvation  !  and  a  saving  faith,  a  living 
faith,  to  lay  hold  on  thy  most  certain  promise ;  that 
I  may  be  made  partaker  of  the  glory  that  is  laid  up 
for  thy  servants  in  thine  everlasting  habitations." 

As  it  is  not  our  intention  in  these  pages  to  attempt 
a  regular  biography  or  to  go  much  iuto  detail,  we 
pass  over  a  considerable  period.  Some  time  in  the 
fifth  month  of  the  year  1G91,  says  Thomas  Story  in 
his  journal,  while  writing  a  paragraph,  "the  people 
called  Quakers  were  suddenly  brought  to  my  mind, 
and  so  strongly  impressed  upon  it  that  thenceforward 
I  had  a  strong  desire  to  make  inquiry  into  their  ways 
and  principles."  An  opportunity  soon  offered  itself  to 
him  for  the  desired  investigation.  Having  some 
business-affairs  to  attend  to  in  the  west  of  Cumberland, 
he  lodged  one  night  at  an  inn  kept  by  a  Friend ;  and, 
engaging  in  conversation,  they  discovered  a  mutual 
similarity  of  opinion  in  many  particulars.  This  led  to 
au  invitatiou  from  the  Friend  to  attend  one  of  their 
meetings,  to  be  held  the  following  day;  and,  Thomas 
3* 


30  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

Story  being  very  desirous  to  inform  himself  person- 
ally concerning  the  doctrines  and  worship  of  that 
society, 'he  went  next  day  with  the  Friend  to  attend 
the  meeting.  His  first  impressions  of  the  society  and 
of  the  meeting  are  best  related  in  his  own  words,  as 
follows  : — 

"  When  we  came  to  the  meeting,  being  a  little  late, 
it  was  full  gathered;  and  I  went  among  the  throng 
of  the  people  on  the  forms,  and  sat  still  among  them 
in  that  inward  condition  and  mental  retirement.  And 
though  one  of  their  ministers,  a  stranger,  began  to 
speak  on  some  points  held  by  them,  and  declaim 
against  some  things  held  by  others  and  denied  by 
them,  particularly  predestination  as  asserted  by  the 
Presbyterians,  yet  I  took  not  much  notice  of  it.  I 
did  not  doubt  but,  like  all  other  sects,  they  might 
have  something  to  say,  bo'th  for  their  own  and  against 
the  opinions  of  others;  yet  my  concern  was  much 
rather  to  know  whether  they  were  a  people  gathered 
under  a  sense  of  the  enjoyment  of  the  presence  of 
God  in  their  meetings  ;  or,  in  other  words,  whether 
they  worshipped  the  true  and  living  God,  in  the  life 
and  nature  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  true  and 
only  Saviour.  And  the  Lord  answered  my  desire 
according  to  the  integrity  of  my  heart. 

"For,  not  long  after  I  had  sat  down  among  them, 
that  heavenly  and  watery  cloud  overshadowing  my 
mind  brake  into  a  sweet  abounding  shower  of  celestial 
rain,  and  the  greatest  part  of  the  meeting  was  broken 
together,  dissolved   and   comforted   in  the  divine 


THOMAS    S  T  0  It  Y. 


3] 


presence  of  the  true,  heavenly  Lord ;  which  was 
divers  times  repeated  before  the  meeting  ended.  In 
the  same  way,  by  the  same  divine  power,  I  had  been 
often  favored  before  when  alone,  and  when  no  eye 
but  that  of  Heaven  beheld,  or  any  knew,  but  the 
Lord  himself ;  who,  iu  infinite  mercy,  had  been 
pleased  to  bestow  so  great  a  favor. 

"And,  as  many  small  springs  and  streams,  descend- 
ing iuto  a  proper  place  and  forming  a  river,  become 
more  deep  and  weighty,  even  so,  thus  meeting  with 
a  people  gathered  of  the  living  God,  into  a  sense  of 
the  enjoyment  of  his  divine  and  living  presence, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  and  Saviour 
of  the  world,  I  felt  an  increase  of  the  joy  of  the  sal- 
vation of  God;  and  the  more,  by  how  much  I  now 
perceived  I  had  been  under  the  like  mistake  as  the 
prophet  of  God  of  old,  but  now  was  otherwise  in- 
formed, by  a  sure  evidence  and  token, — by  the  witness 
of  the  divine  truth,  in  which  no  living  soul  can  err 
or  be  deceived,  being  self-evident  and  undeniable  in 
all  those  who  truly  know  him. 

"  Our  joy  was  mutual  and  full,  though  in  many 
tears,  as  in  cases  of  the  deepest  and  most  unfeigued 
love ;  for  the  Friends  there,  being  generally  sensible 
I  was  affected  and  tendered  with  them,  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  divine  truth  they  knew  and  made  profes- 
sion of,  did  conclude  I  had  been  at  that  time,  and 
not  before,  convinced  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  way  of  truth  among  them  ;  and  their  joy  was  as 
of  heaven  at  the  return  of  a  penitent,  and  mine  as 


32 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  01 


the  joy  of  salvation  from  God,  in  view  of  the  work 
of  the  Lord  so  far  carried  on  in  the  earth  ;  when  I 
had  thought,  not  long  before,  there  had  scarcely  been 
any  true  and  living  faith  or  knowledge  of  God  in  the 
world. 

"  The  meeting  being  ended,  the  peace  of  God  which 
passeth  all  the  understanding  of  natural  men,  and  is 
inexpressible  by  any  language  but  itself  alone,  re- 
mained as  a  holy  canopy  over  my  mind,  in  a  silence 
out  of  the  reach  of  all  words,  and  where  no  idea  but 
the  Word  himself  can  be  conceived.  But  being- 
invited,  together  with  the  ministering  Friend,  to  the 
house  of  the  ancient  widow  Hall,  I  went  willingly 
with  them  j  but,  the  sweet  silence  commanded  in  me 
still  remaining,  I  had  nothing  to  say  to  any  of  them 
till  He  was  pleased  to  draw  the  curtain  and  veil  his 
presence ;  and  then  I  found  my  mind  pure,  and  in  a 
well-bounded  liberty  of  innocent  conversation  with 
them. 

"  Having  stayed  there  a  short  time,  I  was  invited 
to  dinner  at  the  house  of  Richard  Ribton,  an  ancient 
and  honorable  Friend  in  the  village,  where  I  was 
made  kindly  welcome,  and  where  I  had  great  freedom 
of  conversation. 

"Being  now  satisfied,  beyond  my  expectation,  con- 
cerning the  people  of  God,  in  whom  the  Lord  had 
begun,  and  in  a  good  measure  carried  on,  a  great  work 
and  reformation  in  the  earth,  I  determined  to  lay 
aside  every  business  and  thing  which  might  hinder 
or  veil  in  me  the  enjoyment  of  the  presence  of  the 


THOMAS  STORY. 


33 


Lord,  whether  among  his  people  or  alone,  or  obstruct 
any  service  whereunto  I  was  or  might  be  called  by 
him, — especially  things  of  an  entangling  or  confining 
nature;  not  regarding  what  the  world  might  say,  or 
what  name  they  might  impose  upon  me.'7 

Being  thus,  as  he  informs  us,  at  last  satisfied  that 
he  had  found  a  people  in  whom  the  Lord  had  begun 
a  good  work,  he  was  ready  to  unite  with  them  fully 
as  a  religious  body.  And  now  he  determined  to  lay 
aside  every  thing,  whether  of  a  business  nature  or 
otherwise,  which  could  in  any  way  obstruct  or  inter- 
fere with  whatever  duties  or  labors  he  might  be  called 
to  by  divine  grace.  His  steadfastness  in  this  deter- 
mination, and  his  willingness  to  sacrifice  every  earthly 
prospect  for  the  Truth's  sake,  were  soon  after  most 
severely  tested.  Sitting  one  evening  at  his  father's 
house,  solitary  and  silent,  and  under  deep  exercise 
of  mind,  from  a  feeling  of  some  approaching  trial,  he 
was  called  upon  by  an  acquaintance,  who  came  to 
consult  him  on  some  business  in  which  he  had  for- 
merly been  employed  in  the  capacity  of  a  lawyer. 
This  person  informed  him  that  on  the  ensuing  day 
he  had  a  lawsuit  to  come  on  in  regard  to  certain 
houses  in  the  town  of  Penrith,  which  constituted 
nearly  all  the  property  he  possessed  in  the  world ; 
that  one  of  the  witnesses  to  his  deeds  of  conveyance 
being  dead,  and  the  other  out  of  the  country,  without 
the  testimony  of  the  third  and  only  witness  he  would 
in  all  probability  be  defrauded  of  nearly  the  whole  of 
his  estate.    This  third  witness  was  Thomas  Story; 


34 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


and  here  was  the  trial  of  his  faith.  At  that  time 
little  indulgence  was  extended  to  tender  consciences; 
and  all  testimony  in  the  courts  of  justice,  to  be  valid, 
must  be  delivered  under  oath  j  and  to  take  an  oath 
our  friend  believed  was  to  violate  an  express  command 
of  Christ.  Here,  then,  was  a  most  embarrassing  posi- 
tion. On  the  one  hand,  obedience  to  the  divine  will, 
and  the  reward  of  an  approving  conscience ;  on  the 
other,  the  painful  necessity  of  great  loss  to  one  whom 
he  highly  esteemed,  and  whom  he  knew  to  be  entirely 
in  the  right  in  the  matter,  and  whose  case  was  really  a 
very  hard  one.  In  refusing  to  swear,  also,  he  must  give 
up  all  hope  of  further  employment  or  advancement  in 
the  profession  to  which  he  had  devoted  so  much  labor 
and  study,  and  by  which  he  expected  to  support  him- 
self in  the  world ;  and  not  only  this,  but  he  must 
become  the  scorn  of  some,  aud  the  object  of  censure 
to  others,  who  really  wished  to  be  his  friends.  The 
struggle  was  long  and  hard  within  him  •  for  he  had 
not  only  to  contend  against  the  promptings  of  self- 
interest,  but  the  warmest  sympathies  of  a  kind  heart 
were  deeply  enlisted  for  one  who,  by  his  refusal  to 
comply  with  an  almost  universal  custom,  was  likely 
to  become  the  victim  of  great  injustice.  Faith  and 
conscience,  however,  were  at  last  victorious.  He  was 
constrained  to  persist  in  his  refusal  to  swear.  His 
former  friend  became  at  once  a  bitter  enemy,  and  at 
last,  getting  into  a  violent  passion,  began  to  curse  him 
for  a  fool  and  a  Quaker,  and  fiually  left  him,  threat- 
ening to  subject  him  to  the  severest  penalties  the  law 


THOMAS  STORY. 


35 


could  inflict ;  and  these  were  severe  enough  in  those 
times.  Having  thus  remained  steadfast  in  his  prin- 
ciples, and  obedient  to  the  guiding  of  the  Truth,  he  was 
rewarded  with  great  peace  of  mind  and  resignation  to 
whatever  might  befall  him  j  and  the  next  day,  going 
to  the  court,  he  was  met  with  great  friendship  and 
affection  by  his  adversary  of  the  day  before,  with  the 
welcome  intelligence  that  the  suit  had  been  decided 
in  his  favor  and  all  things  settled  to  his  satisfaction. 
Thus  was  light  brought  forth  out  of  thick  darkness, 
and  crooked  things  were  made  straight.  How  little, 
in  these  enlightened  days  of  toleration  and  liberty  of 
conscience,  do  we  realize  the  privileges  we  enjoy,  and 
how  dearly  they  were  purchased  for  us  by  those  very 
men  who,  in  their  day  and  generation,  were  lcokeeT 
upon  as  madmen  and  fanatics  !  Nearly  one  hundred 
years  of  patient  suffering,  under  every  form  of  perse- 
cution, were  necessary  to  demonstrate  to  the  world 
and  its  rulers  many  simple  truths  which  are  now  not 
even  questioned,  and,  among  others,  the  fact  that 
some  men  could  speak  truth  on  all  occasions,  without 
calling  their  Maker  to  witness,  in  opposition  to  "his 
express  commaud.  Powerful  indeed  against  oppres- 
sion and  injustice  was  that  unresisting  but  inflexible 
steadfastness  which  so  eminently  characterized  the 
early  Friends  in  all  affairs  of  conscience.  They  would 
not  swear;  they  would  not  fight;  they  ever  refused  to 
pay  tithes  to  support  a  priesthood  which  they  could 
not  recognise  as  authorized  under  a  Christian  dispen- 
sation ;  and  though  the  whipping-post,  the  stocks,  the 


3>3 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


jail,  and  the  gallows  were  largely  employed  to  compel 
them  into  compliance,  yet  we  have  no  single  instance 
of  the  surrender  of  principle,  either  from  the  fear  of 
punishment  or  the  hope  of  reward.  Would  that  a 
greater  portion  of  the  same  sublime  faith,  and  the 
same  untiring  zeal  in  the  cause  of  truth,  could  be 
found  among  their  descendants  in  this  day  of  luke- 
warmness,  ease,  and  worldly  prosperity !  But,  to  resume 
our  account  of  Thomas  Story's  trials  in  this  public  pro- 
fession of  his  religious  principles,  we  find  him  soon 
attacked  on  all  sides  by  his  former  acquaintance,  some 
ridiculing  what  they  thought  his  folly,  and  others  of 
his  real  well-wishers  endeavoring  to  draw  him  into 
lively  society,  in  order  to  dispel  the  gravity  of  de- 
meanor which  they  mistook  for  an  evidence  of  some 
disease  of  mind  that  had  come  upon  him.  Besides, 
not  long  after  the  occurrence  just  related,  feeling  that 
he  could  no  longer  look  to  the  profession  of  the  law 
as  a  means  of  living,  he  determined  to  decline  it;  and 
once,  being  consulted,  in  his  father's  presence,  by  some 
persons  wishing  to  employ  his  legal  services,  he  refused 
to  undertake  their  business  altogether. 

This  gave  his  father  great  offence,  knowing  that 
his  son  had  then  no  other  means  of  living,  and  fear- 
ing that  he  should  become  dependent  upon  him  for 
support.  Afterward,  however,  hearing  a  false  state- 
ment that  many  ministers  of  the  society  of  Friends 
had  received  large  sums  of  money  for  preaching,  he 
began  to  hope  that  his  son  was  likely  to  earn  his  living 
among  them  in  that  way.    "But,"  says  Thomas, 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


37 


"  as  I  was  silent  for  some  years  after,  it  afforded  no 
great  hopes  in  that  way." 

His  father  on  one  occasion  moving  a  discussion 
with  him  on  the  subject  of  tithes,  his  reply  to  the 
arguments  offered  is  thus  given  in  his  own  words  : — 

"At  another  time  my  father  had  a  mind  to  discourse 
me  on  that  subject;  and,  after  he  had  moved  it,  I 
desired  leave  to  ask  him  a  question  before  I  entered 
the  dispute  with  him.  He  granted  it;  and  then  I 
asked  him,  if  it  were  not  for  his  reputation  among 
men,  and  the  law  of  the  land,  would  he  himself  pay- 
any  tithe.  Upon  this  he  was  silent  a  little,  and  then 
replied,  with  an  oath,  that  if  it  were  not  for  the  laws 
he  would  pay  no  more  tithe  than  myself.  1  Then,'  said 
I,  '  there  is  no  need  of  any  further  dispute  and  it 
ended  thus;  for  he  never  offered  any  argument 
about  it." 

Hitherto  Thomas  Story  had  only  been  among  Friends 
in  his  own  neighborhood ;  but,  being  desirous  of  see- 
ing something  of  them  abroad,  he  left  his  father's 
house,  on  a  religious  visit  for  the  first  time,  in  com- 
pany with  an  able  and  powerful  minister,  Andrew 
Taylor.  This  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1691. 
They  travelled  through  the  North  of  England,  and 
into  Scotland,  visiting  various  meetings  on  the  way. 
At  Edinburgh  they  met  with  a  friend,  Thomas  Rudd, 
who  was  preaching  through  the  streets  of  that  city; 
and,  joining  company  with  him,  they  were  all  arrested 
and  taken  before  a  magistrate,  when,  after  examina- 
tion, Thomas  Rudd  was  imprisoned  as  a  disturber  of 


38  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

the  peace  j  and,  though  Thomas  Story  and  his  friend 
were  discharged  from  custody,  they  obtained  admis- 
sion to  the  prison,  and  remained  there  until  next  day, 
when,  at  their  intercession,  Thomas  Rudd  was  released, 
with  orders  to  leave  the  city.  But  no  sooner  had  he  got 
again  into  the  street  than  he  commenced  preaching 
as  before,  crying,  "Woe  to  the  sandy  foundation  L"  but 
was  no  further  molested  at  that  time. 

Passing  over  numerous  incidents  of  this  journey, 
which  we  cannot  now  particularize,  we  come  to  a  dis- 
cussion by  Thomas  Story  and  a  certain  William  Fal- 
coner, one  of  the  Episcopal  clergymen  who,  by  the 
recent  establishment  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Scotland,  had  been  deprived  of  his  benefice. 

As  the  views  of  the  society  of  Friends  on  the  sub- 
ject of  a  true  gospel  ministry  are  most  ably  and 
effectively  advocated  in  the  remarks  of  Thomas  Story 
on  that  occasion,  we  would  recommend  them  to  the 
attention  of  any  who  may  be  in  doubt  upon  that 
subject : — 

"Then  I  began  to  speak  concerning  the  many  divi- 
sions in  the  pretended  Christian  world, — the  Papacy, 
the  Prelacy,  and  the  Presbytery,  with  their  several 
subdivisions  and  confusions,  which,  being  departed 
from  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  into 
the  spirit  of  envy  and  persecution,  were  warring  and 
destroying  each  other,  contrary  both  to  the  nature 
and  end  of  that  religion  they  profess,  which  is  love. 
I  was  answered  that  the  bishop  of  Rome,  under  pre- 
tence of  being  the  successor  of  Peter,  and,  as  such, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


39 


infallible,  hath  usurped  a  dictatorship  over  the  Chris- 
tian world  in  matters  of  religion,  and  imposed  a  mul- 
titude of  antichristian  errors,  by  unreasonable  force, 
upon  mankind.  But  God  having  committed  his 
whole  will  unto  writing  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and 
in  the  course  of  his  providence  preserved  them  unto 
us,  we  have  our  whole  duty  declared  therein,  as  our 
rule  and  guide  in  matters  of  religion ;  so  that  we  are 
not  to  expect  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit  as  in 
times  past,  that  dispensation  being  now  ceased. 

"I  replied  that  what  he  said  of  the  bishop  of  Rome 
was  true,  and  that  the  Scriptures  are  the  most  excel- 
lent books  extant,  which  were  given,  from  time  to 
time,  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  which  is  the  Spirit 
of  Christ.  But  men  may  read  and  speak  the  truths 
contained  in  the  Scriptures,  one  to  another,  and  the 
readers  and  speakers  remain  still  ignorant  of  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  and  of  things  themselves  intended 
to  be  signified  by  the  words ;  and  not  being  sent  of 
God,  as  the  Scriptures  send  no  man,  cannot  profit  the 
hearers,  but  are  themselves  transgressors  in  so  doing, 
unless  they  were  sent  by  the  influence,  power,  and 
virtue  of  the  same  Word  that  did  dictate  the  matter 
of  the  Scriptures  unto  the  holy  penmen  thereof,  as 
appears  by  the  23d  chapter  of  the  prophecy  of  Jere- 
miah ;  and  then  I  called  for  a  Bible  and  read  : — \  The 
prophet  that  hath  a  dream,  let  him  tell  a  dream;  and 
he  that  hath  my  word,  let  him  speak  my  word  faith- 
fully :  what  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat,  baith  the  Lord? 
Is  not  my  word  like  a  fire,  saith  the  Lord,  and  like 


40 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


a  hammer  that  breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces?  There- 
fore, behold,  I  am  against  the  prophets,  saith  the 
Lord,  that  steal  my  words,  every  one  from  his  neigh- 
bor. Behold,  I  am  against  the  prophets,  saith  the 
Lord,  that  use  their  tongues,  and  say,  He  saith :  yet 
I  sent  them  not,  nor  commanded  them  :  therefore 
they  shall  riot  profit  this  people  at  all,  saith  the 
Lord/  So  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  declared  mind 
of  God  that  any  should  use  his  words  to  others  as  his 
ministers,  who  are  not  sent  by  himself  so  to  do;  for, 
though  they  have  been  his  words  unto  others,  those 
who  use  them  without  his  command  are  charged  by 
him  as  thieves  ;  especially  such  as  make  merchandise 
of  them  to  the  people. 

"  As  to  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  being  now 
ceased,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it  is  so ;  for  I  can  show 
thee  to  whom  it  is  so  ceased,  but  not  to  the  church 
of  Christ.  Then  I  turned  to  the  third  chapter  of  the 
prophecy  of  Micah,  and  read  : — '  Hear,  I  pray  you,  0 
heads  of  Jacob,  and  ye  princes  of  the  house  of  Israel : 
is  it  not  for  you  to  know  judgment  ?  Who  hate  the 
good  and  love  the  evil;  who  pluck  off  their  skin  from 
off  them,  and  their  flesh  from  off  their  bones ;  who 
also  eat  the  flesh  of  my  people,  and  flay  their  skin 
from  off  them  5  and  they  break  their  bones,  and  chop 
them  in  pieces  for  the  pot,  and  as  flesh  within  the 
caldron.  Then  shall  they  cry  unto  the  Lord,  but  he 
will  not  hear  them  ■  he  will  even  hide  his  face  from 
them  at  that  time,  as  they  have  behaved  themselves 
ill  in  their  doings/ 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


41 


"  Here  it  appears  that,  for  the  ignorance,  cruelty,  and 
injustice  of  the  princes  or  heads  of  the  people,  the 
Lord  would  not  hear  or  regard  them.  Again,  in  the 
9th  verse,  the  Lord  resumes  his  charge  against  the 
great  men  in  that  day: — 1  They  abhorred  judgment, 
and  perverted  all  equity  :  they  built  up  Ziou  with 
blood,  and  Jerusalem  with  iniquity:  the  heads  of 
that  people  judged  for  reward,  their  priests  taught 
for  hire,  and  their  prophets  divined  for  money;  yet 
they  pretended  to  lean  upon  the  Lord,  and  say,  Is 
not  the  Lord  among  us  ?  No  evil  can  come  upon  us.' 
But  the  Lord  was  not  to  be  mocked  by  such  :  his  just 
judgments  were  denounced  against  them: — 'There- 
fore shall  Zion,  for  your  sakes,  be  ploughed  as  a  held, 
and  Jerusalem  shall  become  heaps;  and  the  mountain 
of  the  house,  as  the  high  places  of  the  forest.'  This 
was  fulfilled  upon  them,  and  remains  over  them,  as  a 
monument  of  the  justice  of  God,  unto  this  day.  The 
charge  of  the  Lord,  and  his  judgments  against  the 
prophets,  I  left  to  the  last : — 1  They  made  the  people 
err;  they  bit  with  their  teeth,  and  [yet]  cried  peace; 
and  he  that  put  not  into  their  mouths,  they  even 
prepared  war  against  him  :  therefore  night  shall  be 
unto  you,  that  ye  shall  not  have  a  vision ;  and  it  shall 
be  dark  unto  you,  that  ye  shall  not  divine  ;  and  the 
sun  shall  go  down  over  the  prophets,  and  the  day 
shall  be  dark  over  them.  Then  shall  the  seers  be 
ashamed, 'and  the  diviners  confounded;  yea,  they 
shall  all  cover  their  lips,  for  there  is  no  answer  of 
God.' 

4* 


42 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


"Now,  as  to  these  Scriptures,  said  I,  like  sin,  like 
judgment.  All  these  three  divisions  of  the  pretended 
Christian  church,  falling  into  the  sins  of  the  old 
heathens,  are  become  hateful,  and  hating  one  another, 
and;  through  that  hatred,  have  persecuted  and  de- 
stroyed each  other  when  and  wherever  they  have  had 
power.  And  all  these,  in  their  turns,  having  deceived 
and  subjected  the  temporal  powers,  have  persecuted 
and  destroyed  the  church  of  Christ  among  them. 
'They  have  hated  the  good,  and  loved  the  evil/ 
They  have  exercised  such  cruelties  upon  the  innocent 
and  just  as  are  here  figuratively  termed  plucking  off 
their  skin  and  their  flesh,  and  the  breaking  of  their 
bones,  and  the  like.  The  priests  of  every  form  have 
fleeced  the  people  and  the  church  of  Christ,  which 
they  have  not  fed ;  they  have  made  laws  by  their  own. 
power  against  them,  and  thereby  made  war  against 
such  as  would  not  gratify  their  covetousness;  they 
have  worried  them  as  with  their  teeth,  and  yet  cried 
up  the  peace  of  the  gospel  in  words;  they  have  built 
and  propagated  their  several  sects  and  parties  with 
the  blood  of  others  and  of  the  saints  of  God,  and 
have  filled  their  sanctuaries  with  evil-doing  and  fraud. 
Their  heads,  who  lord  over  them,  have  exercised  their 
offices  for  gain  and  pay,  their  priests  teach  for  hire, 
their  prophets  divine  for  money;  yet  they  pretend 
the  Lord  is  with  them  in  their  various  and  opposite 
ways,  and  that  no  evil  can  come  upon  them.  And 
yet,  though  the  day  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  be  dawned 
upon  his  church,  and  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  arisen 


T  HOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


4o 


and  shining  in  her,  yet  the  night  of  apostasy  and 
mist  of  thick  darkness  and  ignorance  is  over  these. 
They  have  no  vision  of  God;  they  cannot  divine;  the 
sun  is  set  unto  them,  and  the  day  is  dark  over  them. 
For  the  light  thereof  they  despise  and  hate,  because 
they  are  evil-doers,  and  to  them  there  is  no  answer 
of  God. 

"  But  the  church  of  Christ  here  speaketh  another 
language :  she  bears  another,  a  true  testimony  to  the 
true  God.  'But  truly  I  am  full  of  power,  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  of  judgment,  and  of  might,  to 
declare  unto  Jacob  his  transgressions,  and  unto  Israel 
his  sin.'  Here  it  is  apparent  from  whom  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  departed,  and  to  whom  he  is  not  now 
revealed,  and  in  whom  he  does  not  reside;  that  is, 
Mystery-Babylon,  with  all  her  divisions,  subdivisions, 
and  members,  everywhere  and  under  whatsoever 
name;  but  God  is  with  his  people  still,  as  in  former 
times,  according  to  the  promise  of  his  Son : — '  If  a 
man.  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  words ;  and  my  Father 
will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him  and  make 
our  abode  with  him.'" 

This  journey  was  a  long  one,  our  friend  only 
reaching  home  after  an  absence  of  six  months,  during 
which  time  he  had  traversed  a  large  portion  of  both 
England  and  Scotland,  but  not  appearing  on  any 
occasion  as  a  minister. 

Returning  again  to  his  father's  house,  he  did  not 
long  remain  there;  but,  feeling  that  he  could  no 
longer  bear  to  be  dependent  upon  his  father,  nor  live 


44 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


happily  with  him  under  the  feeling  of  estrangement 
which  the  former  had  for  a  long  time  manifested,  he 
now  determined  to  bid  farewell  to  his  home,  and  go 
forth,  he  knew  not  whither,  yet  in  full  faith  that  his 
Divine  Master  would  never  forsake  those  who  put 
their  trust  in  him.  When  this  determination  was 
made  known  to  his  father,  a  most  touching  interview 
took  place  between  parent  and  child,  of  which  he  has 
left  us  the  following  account: — 

"  After  this,  my  uneasiness  in  my  father's  house 
increasing,  I  took  an  occasion  one  morning  to  remind 
him  of  the  change  of  his  countenance  and  behavior 
toward  me,  and  of  the  many  hints  he  had  thought 
fit  to  give  concerning  my  way  of  living  in  the  world, 
as  if  I  were  likely  to  be  chargeable  to  him,  in  some 
other  way  than  by  the  practice  of  the  law,  into  which 
I  had  been  initiated, — having  altogether  declined  it, 
as  noted  before  in  this  relation. 

"I  told  him  that  he  could  not  charge  me  with  any 
act  of  disobedience  to  him  from  my  childhood;  nor 
did  he,  or  my  mother,  or  any  schoolmaster,  ever  cor- 
rect me  with  the  rod,  or  had  any  cause,  or  with  the 
neglect  of  any  duty,  save  now,  at  last,  my  embracing 
the  truth  of  G-od,  as  my  only  way  to  salvation, — in 
which  case  he  had  no  right  to  command  or  hinder, 
but  rather  to  consider  his  own  ways  and  state,  and 
how  far  they  were  just  and  pleasing  in  the  sight  of 
God,  to  whom  I  must  answer  for  myself,  where  he 
could  not  for  me ;  and  then  added  that  I  intended 


THOMAS  STORY. 


45 


to  leave  his  house  in  a  short  time  and  make  him  easy 
on  that  account. 

"This  touched  my  dear  father  so  near  that  he  could 
not  bear  it,  but  wept  abundantly,  confessing  that  I 
ever  had  been  a  dutiful  child  to  him,  and  had  never 
disobliged  him,  save  in  that  thing  only;  nor  did  he 
grudge  any  thing  in  his  power  to  do  for  me  j  but,  as 
he  had  brought  me  up  to  the  law,  he  thought  it  might 
have  been  a  way  of  living  in  the  world  both  plentiful 
and  reputable,  but  could  not  now  see  auy  reasonable 
means  of  a  competent  subsistence  with  that  reputa- 
tion which  my  circumstances  required.  However,  he 
made  me  this  proposal,  as  the  best  he  could  then 
think  of,  viz.  :  That  I  should  manage  his  estate  to  the 
best  advantage  I  could,  and  take  all  the  incomes  to 
myself,  save  a  reputable  subsistence  to  himself  and 
my  mother-in-law,  his  wife. 

"To  this  I  returned  him  my  dutiful  acknowledg- 
ment, but  told  him  it  was  now  too  late.  I  was  fixed  in 
another  resolution,  under  a  view  of  a  different  nature, 
and  could  not  subject  myself  to  such  a  confinement 
if  he  would,  on  such  terms,  give  me  his  whole  estate 
forever,  but  withal  assured  him  that  I  did  not  leave 
him  under  any  discontent  or  resentment  of  any  beha- 
vior he  had  used  toward  me,  which  he  had  a  right 
to  do,  according  to  his  views  and  meaning;  but  that 
I  had  an  inducement  for  my  departure  which 
probably  he  could  not  rightly  apprehend  or  believe 
if  I  should  declare  it, — which  was  no  other  than  more 
perfect  liberty  to  serve  the  Lord  and  his  people  in 


46 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  way  of  the  calling  of  God,  which  was  gradually 
increasing  at  that  time  upon  me ;  and  I  was  now 
grown  a  little  stronger  in  the  ministry,  and  more 
experienced  in  the  exercise  of  the  gift  of  God 
therein/' 

Soon  after  this  interview  he  took  leave  of  his 
family,  and  started,  in  company  with  another  friend, 
for  London,  with  the  intention  of  taking  several  meet- 
ings of  Friends  on  their  way.  Arriving  in  that  city, 
he  found  himself  under  the  necessity  of  seeking 
some  employment,  as  he  was  without  any  means 
except  the  horse  on  which  he  had  ridden.  His  first 
step  was  to  part  with  the  horse,  thus  supplying 
immediate  necessities.  Friends  in  the  city  being 
aware  of  his  desire  to  find  occupation  there,  several 
persons,  and  William  Penn  in  particular,  interested 
themselves  to  find  employment  for  him  in  the  busi- 
ness of  conveyancing,  and  with  such  success  that  in 
a  short  time  he  found  himself  fully  employed  and  in 
a  comfortable  way  of  living ;  thus  experiencing,  in 
his  own  case,  the  verification  of  the  Scripture  pro- 
mise: — "Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his 
righteousness,  and  all  other  things  needful  shall  be 
added  thereunto." 

He  remained  in  London,  diligently  attending  to 
meetings  and  to  his  business,  each  in  their  proper 
time  and  place,  uutil  the  year  1696.  By  this  time, 
having  often  appeared  in  the  ministry,  he  had  grown 
into  great  esteem  in  that  capacity.  He  now  felt 
called  to  make  a  religious  journey  to  the  North  of 


THOMAS  STORY. 


47 


England  and  Scotland,  and  while  on  the  way,  being 
at  the  town  of  Waterford,  he  visited  the  Countess  of 
Carlisle  and  was  received  with  great  respect.  The 
countess  asked  him  a  variety  of  questions  on  the 
views  of  his  society,  as  regarded  the  sacraments, 
womeu's  preaching,  &c,  to  which  he  returned  full 
answers,  and  such  as  were  satisfactory.  His  defence 
of  women's  preaching  from  Scripture  authority,  and 
his  explanation  of  Paul's  doctrine  on  that  subject, 
may  attract  the  attention  of  inquirers ;  and  we  give  it 
in  his  own  words  : — 

"  As  to  women's  preaching,  it  ought  to  be  impar- 
tially observed  that  the  difference  of  sexes  consists 
not  in  any  diversity  of  faculties  in  the  human  soul, 
the  intellectual  powers  being  alike  common  to  male 
and  female,  and  the  nature  of  the  mind  the  same  in 
both,  and  consequently  susceptible  of  the  like  and 
same  impressions  and  impulses.  And,  accordingly, 
the  xVlmighty,  pointing  at  the  dispensation  of  the 
gospel  by  Joel  the  prophet,  saith,  '  I  will  pour  out  my 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh ;  and  your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
ters shall  prophesy.'  Again,  'Upon  the  servants  and 
upon  the  handmaids,  in  those  days,  will  I  pour  out 
my  Spirit.'  By  the  word  prop liesy  is  understood,  by 
all  interpreters,  preaching  the  gospel;  and  this  pro- 
phecy took  place  in  the  church  of  Christ,  at  the 
coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  Christ  in  Spirit,  at 
Jerusalem,  at  the  time  of  Pentecost, — where,  if  no 
woman  spake,  though  we  have  no  express  account 
that  any  did,  the  Apostle  Peter  did  not  apply  that  text 


48 


BRIEF    MEMOIR    O  F 


properly  and  without  exception ;  which  we  are  not  to 
suppose. 

"  Though  the  Apostle  Paul  takes  some  exceptions, 
and  that  with  sharpness,  against  some  women  as  to 
that  exercise  in  the  church,  yet  not  against  all ;  for 
himself  declares  how  women  using  that  exercise 
ought  to  be  circumstanced,  and  recommends  Phebe 
as  a  minister  of  the  church  which  was  at  Cenchrea; 
and  Philip  had  four  daughters,  all  preachers;  and 
Priscilla,  as  well  as  Aquilla,  her  husband,  was  a 
preacher  in  the  days  of  the  apostles ;  and  she,  as  well 
as  he,  instructed  Apollos  further  in  the  way  of  Christ, 
though  he  had  been  a  preacher  before.  I  conclude, 
therefore,  with  truth,  that  women  both  may  and 
ought  to  preach,  under  the  gospel  dispensation,  when 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them,  and  they  there- 
unto called  and  qualified  thereby;  and  many  such 
we  have  now  among  us,  very  acceptable  in  their 
ministry.  So  that  we  know  by  experience  that  they 
are  sent  of  God,  according  to  the  various  degrees  of 
their  gifts,  as  well  as  men,  and  receive  them  accord- 
ingly in  the  Lord/' 

Leaving  Waterford,  he  continued  his  journey  north- 
ward, attending  various  meetings  and  having  good 
service  at  most  of  them.  Among  other  incidents  of 
this  journey  was  a  visit  to  the  widow  of  the  celebrated 
Robert  Barclay  of  Urie,  in  whose  family  a  very  satisfac- 
tory meeting  was  held.  Arriving  in  Edinburgh,  he  was 
made  aware  of  an  extremely  bitter  feeling  against  the 
society  of  Friends  on  the  part  of  the  Scottish  Pres- 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


40 


byterian  Church,  their  General  Assembly  having 
issued  a  decree  of  excommunication  against  all  persons 
professing  Friends'  principles,  in  which  they  were 
styled  blasphemous  and  possessed  of  the  devil,  and 
at  the  same  time  forbidding  all  members  of  the 
Scotch  Church  to  hold  any  kind  of  intercourse  with, 
or  even  to  buy  from  or  sell  to,  the  Quakers. 

This  doctrine  from  those  in  authority  stirred  up 
the  populace  to  the  perpetration  of  various  cruel  and 
brutal  outrages  against  the  Friends, — such  as  pelting 
them  with  dirt  and  stones,  and  crying  out,  even  before 
the  magistrates,  "Stone  those  Quakers  to  death;  for 
the  ministers  have  excommunicated  them." 

This  bitter  persecuting  spirit  among  the  Presby- 
terians— a  people  who,  but  a  few  years  before,  had 
been  hunted  down  like  wild  beasts  by  the  fierce  sol- 
diers of  the  Stuarts,  under  the  command  of  their 
bloody  and  relentless  persecutor,  James  Grahame  of 
Claverhouse — would  seem  difficult  of  explanation. 
Yet  in  New  England,  not  long  before,  we  have  evi- 
dences of  the  same  vindictive  intolerance  among  their 
co-religionists,  who  had  but  lately  found  an  asylum 
from  persecution  at  home  in  the  wild  forests  of  the 
New  World.  At  the  period  of  Thomas  Story's  visit, 
however,  whatever  may  have  been  their  disposition, 
they  were  kept  from  any  overt  act  of  outrage  by  fear 
of  the  royal  authority,  which  since  the  accession  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange  was  uniformly  exerted  in  favor 
of  general  toleration. 

We  shall  not  here  follow  our  friend  through  all 


50 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  details  of  his  labor  of  love  among  this  people,  who 
were  so  little  in  a  condition  to  profit  by  them. 

On  his  return  again  to  London  he  found  a  letter 
directed  to  him  from  an  unknown  hand,  which  in- 
formed him  that  the  writer  of  it  had  been  very  favor- 
ably impressed  by  the  perusal  of  a  letter  of  his  to 
another  person,  and  that  though  before  that  time  he 
had  been  strongly  prejudiced  against  Friends,  as  an 
unchristian  sect,  he  (the  anonymous  writer)  was  now 
convinced  that  among  the  people  called  by  the  name 
of  Quakers  there  might  be  many  persons  who  really 
feared  God.  With  these  premises,  the  writer  goes 
on  to  offer  a  number  of  propositions  for  Thomas 
Story's  consideration.  Among  the  most  prominent 
of  these  are  the  following,  which  we  give  here,  and 
also  the  replies  to  and  explanations  of  them,  which 
Thomas  Story  gave  to  each  of  them  in  detail. 

1st.  That  Christ  took  upon  him  our  nature,  that 
he  might  know  how  to  pity  our  infirmities,  and  from 
thence  knew  what  need  we  had  of  strengthening 
ordinances,  and  in  love  commanded  us  to  commemo- 
rate his  death  till  he  came,  &c. 

2d.  That  Christ  was  baptized  of  John,  and  sent 
forth  his  disciples  to  preach  to  and  baptize  all  nations. 

3d.  Of  a  sinless  perfection  in  this  life,  and  what 
reason  we  have  for  a  belief  that  it  is  possible  to 
arrive  at  it. 

"  To  the  1st.  The  plain  sense  of  this  is,  that  the 
great  end  of  Christ's  taking  upon  him  our  nature  is 
that  he  might  thereby  know  how  to  pity  our  infirmi- 


T  H  0  M  A  S    STO  R  Y. 


51 


ties  ;  and,  from  a  knowledge  thereof  so  obtained,  was 
moved  with  so  great  compassion  as  to  give  us  the 
sacraments,  as  the  great  fruits  of  his  love  and  tender- 
ness, till  he  should  come  again  at  the  end  of  the 
world. 

"  This  is  a  great  perversion  of  the  end  of  his 
coming,  and  highly  derogates  from  the  glory  of  it ; 
insinuating  that  he  was  not  sensible  of  our  infirmi- 
ties, nor  could  pity  us  therein,  till  he  acquired  that 
knowledge  by  experience ;  reflecting  upon  his  omni- 
science as  God.  For  he  came  that  we  might  have 
life, — not  only  shadows  of  it, — and  that  we  might  have 
it  more  abundantly  ■  he  came  the  second  time  in  that 
generation,  according  to  his  promise,  to  save  his 
people  from  their  sins,  and  not  in  them, — to  save  them 
from  their  pollutions  and  corruptions,  by  the  washing 
of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the 
spirit  of  judgment  and  of  burning,  that  eternally 
burns,  as  an  oven,  against  all  corruption,  and  can 
never  be  reconciled  to  sin ;  and  not  to  establish  a 
shadow  only  of  cleansiug.  He  came  to  finish  trans 
gression,  to  put  an  end  to  sin,  and  to  bring  everlasting 
righteousuess  into  the  soul  of  man,  where  it  was 
wanted ;  and  not  some  shadow  of  it  only. 

"  For  this  end  likewise  was  the  Son  of  God  made 
manifest,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the 
devil,  which  is  sin  in  the  hearts  of  mankind ;  and  not 
to  give  some  signs  of  it  only.  He  came  to  give  his 
life,  the  quickening  spirit,  the  true  bread  which  comes 
down  from  heaven,  to  revive  and  preserve  dead  lost 


52 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


man  j  and  not  only,  as  thou  imagines,  to  give  them 
these  poor  pretended  ordinances,  in  which  there  is  no 
strength  to  strengthen  them.  The  Lord  himself 
being  with  his  people  always,  according  to  his  pro- 
mise, and  will  be,  in  his  own  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Grhost  and  fire,  to  the  end  of  the  world,  they  need 
not  any  outward  thing  to  put  them  in  mind  of  him. 
And  sprinkling  of  children,  being  an  antichristian 
forgery,  is  not  so  much  as  a  pertinent  shadow  of  the 
one  true  baptism. 

"But  if  thou  wilt  apply  thine  heart  to  the  Lord 
in  sincerity  and  truth,  and  take  up  his  cross  daily  to 
thy  own  will  and  natural  desires,  and  embrace  those 
things  he  makes  manifest  to  thee  to  be  thy  duty  to 
him  and  to  mankind,  he  will  make  thee  wiser  than 
those  who  have  thus  taught  and  deceived  thee ;  for 
great  is  his  compassion  and  tender  regard,  as  I  find 
by  his  grace  made  known  in  my  heart,  toward  thee 
at  this  time. 

u  That  the  Lord  Christ  took  a  body  of  the  same 
nature  and  kind  as  ours,  and  was  like  us  in  all  things, 
sin  excepted,  is  true.  But  whether  he  be  come  in  us, 
is  the  question.  Whether  that  day  be  come  in  and 
unto  us,  wherein  we  have  known  'that  he  is  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Father  in  him,  and  he  in  us.'  Or 
that  we  be  yet  so  clouded,  shadowed,  and  benighted, 
by  the  god  and  spirit  of  this  world,  as  not  yet  to  have 
seen  the  Lord  Jesus  in  and  for  ourselves.  If  not, 
we  are  reprobates,  falsely  covered  with  a  vain  profes- 
sion of  the  holy  name  of  Him  we  do  not  know.  For 


T  II  O  M  A  S    B  TO  B  Y. 


53 


every  spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come 
in  the  flesh,  the  same  is  of  God  j  out  every  spirit 
that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh,  the  same  is  antichrist. 

"Now,  every  antichristian  spirit  in  the  world  pro- 
fessing Christianity  will  confess  in  words  that  Christ 
is  come  in  that  blessed,  prepared  body  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary ;  yet  none  can  make  this  true  confession 
of  Christ's  being  come  in  the  flesh  but  such  only  in 
whom  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  revealed,  who  have  put 
on  Christ,  and  are  put  on  of  him,  and  are  become 
members  of  him,  by  his  life  that  dwells  in  them,  as 
bone  of  his  bone  and  flesh  of  his  flesh;  no  more 
than  auy  man  can  call  Christ  truly  Lord  but  by  the 
Holy  Ghost;  though  to  call  him  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  our  Saviour,  in  words,  is  a  thing  very 
easily  acquired,  and  common  amongst  most  ungodly 
professors,  wallowing  on  still  in  all  manner  of  sins 
and  wickedness,  and  not  saved  by  him.  Consider 
these  things  fully ;  and  the  Lord  so  shine  in  upon 
thy  heart  in  love,  and  reveal  himself  in  thee,  that 
thou  mayst  be  able  to  confess  him  before  all  thy 
acquaintance  and  the  world. 

" Again:  as  to  those  supposed  ordinances  of  bread 
and  wine,  and  being  sprinkled  in  the  face  with  water 
in  one's  infancy,  if  there  was  any  thing  to  boast  of  in 
these,  I  also  might  glory,  having  formerly  had  the 
administration  of  both,  and  the  former  with  great 
preparation  and  fear,  but  know  nothing  of  the  latter 
but  by  tradition  only,  being  too  young  then  to  know 
5* 


54 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


or  remember  any  thing  of  it,  nor  do,  or  ever  did,  find 
any  effect  it  had  towards  salvation. 

"In  respect  to  the  first,  it  is  true  there  was  some- 
thing like  a  commandment ;  for  it  being  the  passover 
of  the  Jews,  and  to  be  ended  in  Christ,  the  substance, 
he  said,  'This  do,  as  often  as  ye  do  it,  in  remem- 
brance of  me;'  not  simply,  This  do  in  remembrance 
of  me,  but,  This  do,  as  often  as  ye  do  it,  in  remem- 
brance of  me.  On  which  the  Apostle  Paul,  in  his 
first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  makes  this  observa- 
tion : — t  That  as  often  as  they  ate  that  bread  and  drank 
that  cup,  they  showed  forth  the  Lo|#'s  death  till  he 
came.'  This  shows  that  it  was  determinable  upon  a 
certain  contingency,  or  within  a  certain  limitation  of 
time,  viz. :  till  he  came.  And  in  that  generation  he 
came  the  second  time,  without  sin  unto  salvation,  in 
those  who  believed  and  obeyed.  By  which  coming, 
this  and  all  other  types,  shadows,  and  figures  of  him 
were  put  to  an  end,  as  to  any  real  obligation  from 
that  seeming  commandment,  or  any  other  of  a  typical 
kind. 

"And  yet,  in  condescension  to  some  who  had 
believed  in  Christ,  as  to  his  outward  coming,  that  he 
is  the  Messiah  and  sent  of  Grod,  and  were  yet  weak, 
and  not  come  to  the  experience  of  his  presence  in 
themselves,  being  yet  in  an  intermediate  state,  some 
eatings  and  drinkings — I  do  not  say  any  now  in  use — 
might  be  continued  for  a  time,  in  some  places;  though 
we  read  of  none  but  Corinth,  where  they  were  then 
in  a  very  carnal  state.    But  that  practice  did  not 


THOMAS  STORY. 


55 


make  it  necessary  for  ages  then  to  come,  especially 
since  antichrist  hath  erected  his  kingdom  of  darkness 
under  those  shadows,  and  forged  idols  under  the 
cover  of  them,  and  thereby  deceived  the  nations, 
though  not  the  elect,  who  cannot  be  deceived.  Yet 
that  practice  in  those  days,  after  the  spiritual  coming 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  adds  no  mere  authority  for 
the  continuance  or  perpetuity  of  it  than  the  practice 
of  circumcision,  vows,  purifications,  and  the  like 
ceremonies  and  types  under  the  law  of  Moses,  made 
these  necessary,  after  his  coming  both  in  the  flesh 
and  spirit \  some  of  which  were  not  only  continued, 
for  the  reasons  aforesaid,  after  the  revelation  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  them  in  that  age, 
but  some  of  them  are  continued,  especially  in  the 
church  and  kingdom  of  antichrist,  and  among  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity,  unto  this  day,  as  still  being 
needful,  in  their  judgment, 

"  Breaking  bread  and  drinking  wine  was  a  Jewish 
rite,  begun  in  the  time  of  the  captivity  at  Babylon, 
and  continued  till  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  used  at 
the  passover  and  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb, — which 
was  a  type  of  Christ  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  true 
vine  and  wine  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  antitype  of 
that  figure,  who  made  the  application  of  it  imme- 
diately to  himself,  as  being  the  real  substance.  And 
though  he  was  at  that  time  come,  and  present  with 
them  as  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  the  Messiah 
outwardly,  according  to  the  prophets,  yet  he  was  then 
shortly  to  come,  or  be  revealed,  according  to  the  pro- 


5G 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


phecy  of  Malachi,  the  last  of  the  prophets,  and  of 
John  the  Baptist,  who  prophesied  of  a  divine  comiug 
and  manifestation  of  the  same  Christ  and  Saviour, 
that  is  to  say,  as  the  Mediator  and  Messenger  of  the 
new  and  second  covenant  of  light  and  life;  and  he  is 
also  that  covenant,  like  a  refiner's  fire  and  fuller's 
soap,  to  sit  in  the  hearts  of  mankind  as  a  refiner  and 
purifier  of  silver ;  to  make  men  pure,  and  purer  than 
fine  gold,  seven  times  tried  in  the  fire ;  to  gather  the 
weighty  and  solid  wheat  into  the  garner  of  God,  to 
be  reserved  there  for  his  use,  and  of  which  is  made 
the  one  bread ;  but  to  burn  up  the  chaff  of  pollutions 
with  fire  unquenchable,  by  Him  who  is  that  fire,  the 
Word  of  God,  who  baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
John  did  with  water,  and  with  that  divine  and  holy 
fire. 

'"As  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread  and  drink  this 
cup,  ye  show  forth  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come/ 
They,  therefore,  who  are  at  this  day  exercising  them- 
selves in  the  imitations  of  these  things,  with  their 
own  additions,  diminutions,  and  alterations  thereof, 
are  only  showing  forth  his  death  until  now;  whereby 
they  are  bearing  witness  against  themselves,  that  they 
are  not  yet  come  to  know  him  as  the  resurrection  and 
life,  by  his  manifestation  in  them ;  that  he  is  not  yet 
revealed  in  them;  that  they  are  yet  dead  unto  the 
sense  of  the  life  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  alienated 
therefrom,  through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  them. 
Christ  is  yet  crucified  in  and  unto  them ;  being  con- 
tented with  a  hearsay  of  him,  pretending  to  serve 


THOMAS  STORY. 


57 


him  in  eating,  drinking,  touching,  tasting,  and  hand- 
ling; in  shows,  in  imperfect  imitations  of  some  out- 
ward and  typical  shadows,  once  in  use  in  their  proper 
dispensations  of  time,  place,  and  people  j  and  yet 
deny  or  neglect  the  great  everlasting  command  and 
ordinance  of  love.  'Love  one  another;  love  your 
enemies  j  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you;  be  perfect: 
by  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples, 
if  ye  love  one  another.'  Of  these  they  are  willingly 
ignorant.  And  how  little  Christendom,  falsely  so 
called,  hath  been  in  the  practice  of  these  things,  the 
heathen  world  has  beheld  and  has  stumbled  at. 
How  little  she  is  in  the  practice  of  them  still,  let  her 
present  circumstances  demonstrate  to  all  who  have 
eyes  to  see  the  bloodshed  and  uncharity,  and  ears  to 
hear  the  cries  of  the  poor  and  oppressed,  and  hearts 
to  lament  the  misery  and  judgments  now  on  foot  and 
swiftly  advancing  upon  all  false  pretenders,  who  are 
not  only  to  be  more  and  more  vexed  by  the  destroying 
hands  one  of  another,  but  unless  they  speedily  repent 
and  turn  unto  him,  the  divine  substance  of  all  types 
and  shadows,  even  to  that  true  light  which  enlighten- 
eth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world,  they  must 
surely  taste  of  the  eternal  judgment  of  the  Son  of 
God,  the  great  Judge  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead, 
who  is  now  hastening  upon  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
earth. 

"'I  am  the  bread  of  life/  said  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ, — 'the  living  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven.    If  any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live 


58 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


forever.  And  the  bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh, 
which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the  world.  Except 
ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his 
blood,  ye  have  no  life  in  you.  My  flesh  is  meat 
indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed.  He  that 
eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood  dwelleth  in 
me,  and  I  in  him.'  Then  said  the  hearers,  '  How  can 
this  man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat  ?'  Many  therefore 
of  his  disciples,  when  they  had  heard  this,  said, 
'This  is  a  hard  saying  :  who  can  hear  it?'  And,  to 
explain  his  sayings,  he  added,  'It  is  the  Spirit  that 
quickeneth  :  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing :  the  words 
that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit  and  they  are 
life/ 

"Yet  from  that  time  many  of  his  disciples  went 
back  and  walked  no  more  with  him.  Even  the 
twelve  apostles  themselves  seem  to  have  been  ready 
to  stagger  at  his  doctrine,  so  far  above  the  natural 
capacity  of  mankind,  and  of  the  hearers  at  that  time, 
as  appears  by  his  question  to  them  in  private  : — '  Will 
ye  also  go  away?'  when  Peter,  recounting  their 
experience,  replied,  'Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go? 
thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life.'  As  it  is  else- 
where written,  'It  is  given  unto  you  to  know  the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  to  them  it 
is  not  given.'  Even  so  it  is  at  this  day.  It  is  given 
unto  those  who  are  awakened  out  of  sleep,  to  walk  in 
the  light,  and  in  the  day  of  God,  where  there  is  no 
night  or  shadow,  and  to  be  fed  with  this  living  bread 
and  everlasting  substance;  but  those  who  are  asleep, 


THOMAS    B  TO  R  Y. 


59 


and  dreaming,  as  ia  the  night,  that  they  are  eating 
and  drinking  and  are  satisfied,  when  they  awake  in 
the  morning  shall  be  an-hungered.  And  then  shall 
they  know  that  they  have  been  deluded  with  an 
empty  dream,  and  that  real  bread  is  wanting  unto 
them,  and  the  true  wine  of  the  kingdom  they  have 
not  tasted. 

u  '  It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth  :  the  flesh  profit- 
eth  nothing.'  And,  notwithstanding  any  use  of  any 
shadows  or  signs  visible,  in  the  church  of  Christ,  after 
his  descending  upon  them  in  spirit,  we  find  the  true 
supper  and  divine  substance  explained,  and  the  way 
to  obtain  it  directed  to,  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  after 
his  glorification  in  heaven  ;  and  of  which  we  are  at 
this  day  made  partakers,  through  the  infinite  mercy 
of  the  Father  in  him,  without  the  use  of  any  cere- 
mony, sign,  or  shadow,  or  of  any  other  means  than 
those  of  his  own  directing.  That  is  to  say,  '  As  many 
as  I  love  I  rebuke  and  chasten  :  be  zealous,  therefore, 
and  repent.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  : 
if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me.'  Here  the  love  of  God  is  the  first  movine  cause, 
and  is  seen  in  the  rebukes  and  chastisements  of  his 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  mankind ;  and  we  ought 
to  show  our  zeal  and  love  to  him  by  a  free  and  hearty 
repentance,  and  forsaking  of  those  things  we  are 
reproved  for.  He  will  then  stand  at  the  door  of  such 
a  heart,  and  call  more  plainly  and  powerfully  there, 
and  knock  by  the  hammer  of  his  holy  Word,  which 


60 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  Of 


breaketh  the  rock  in  pieces;  and  whosoever  shall 
hear,  believe,  and  obey  this  voice,  and  shall  open  his 
heart  and  door  and  let  in  this  divine  guest,  shall  sit 
with  him  at  his  heavenly  table  and  eat  of  his  holy 
supper,  the  true  bread  which  conies  down,  day  by  day, 
from  heaven,  and  shall  drink  of  the  new  wine  of  his 
kingdom,  even  now  in  this  present  world,  where 
their  peace  shall  flow  as  a  river,  and  their  joy  in  him 
and  the  Father  as  a  mighty  stream.  They  shall  eat 
of  the  hidden  manna,  and  the  fruit  of  the  Tree  of 
Life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  Paradise  of  God, 
and  live  with  and  in  him  who  was  dead,  and  died  for 
them,'  and  liveth  for  evermore. 

"  In  all  humility  and  honor  to  the  sacred  name  of 
the  Lord,  be  it  confessed,  I  am  often  made  partaker 
of  this  supper  with  many  brethren  and  sisters, 
children  of  one  Father,  without  the  use  of  these 
means  thou  talkest  of,  and  without  any  self-conceited- 
ness,  or  blasphemous  and  vain  apprehensions  of  our 
own  wisdom,  or  being  wiser  than  he;  for  he  is  the 
wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God,  and  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and  re- 
demption; and  by  him,  the  heavenly  substance,  we 
are  led,  directed,  and  redeemed  out  of  all  shadows, 
types,  and  figures,  to  serve  God  in  newness  of  life,  in 
love  to  God  and  to  all  mankind.  Which  love  is  the 
one  great  commandment,  upon  which  depend  all  the 
rest,  and  which  he,  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  great  Dis- 
penser of  it  in  the  hearts  of  his  people,  is  come  to 
fulfil  in  us  by  his  eternal  power;  and  we  are  become, 


T  II  0  M  AS    S  TOR  Y. 


CI 


and  are  more  and  more  becomiug,  the  workmanship 
of  the  Father  in  him,  unto  good  works,  such  as  please 
him. 

"Without  this  new  aud  living  commandment,  the 
observation  of  shadows,  though  once  lawful,  or  what 
men  may  invent  to  themselves  in  imitation  or  addi- 
tion thereto,  are  as  surely  an  abomination  to  the 
Lord  at  this  day  as  the  observation  of  things  once 
commanded  unto  Israel,  and,  in  point  of  dispensation, 
were  then  still  in  force,  became  as  the  cutting  off  a 
dog's  neck,  and  offering  of  swine's  blood,  because  of 
their  nedectiu";  righteousness  and  greater  matters 
of  the  law. 

"  Every  type  or  shadow  once  instituted  remained 
as  an  obligation,  and  in  force,  until  Christ,  who  is  the 
antitype  and  substance  of  all  types  and  shadows, 
became  that  thing  to  man  which  the  type  did  typify 
or  signify.  As  when  Christ  was  offered  upon  the 
cross,  the  Jewish  offerings  were  ended;  when  he 
became  the  High-Priest  of  the  soul,  the  Jewish  high- 
priest's  office  was  fully  ended,  kc.  Even  so  the 
paschal  lamb,  and  the  breaking  bread  and  the  drink- 
ing wine  at  that  feast,  as  part  of  it,  were  fully  ended 
when  the  true  Paschal  Lamb,  upon  whom  the  saints 
aud  saved  of  the  Lord  were  to  feed,  was  fully  come, 
so  as  actually  and  spiritually  to  become  meat  and 
drink  to  their  enlivened  souls.  And  in  like  manner 
also,  so  soon  as  the  heavenly  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
became,  experimentally,  that  bread  of  life  which 
came  down  from  heaven,  and  his  blood  that  new  wine 
6 


62 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


of  the  kingdom,  unto  the  sanctified  and  redeemed  in 
that  day,  the  breaking  of  bread  outward,  and  drinking 
wine,  fully  came  to  an  end,  as  to  any  obligation  that 
was  on  any  to  retain  the  practice  of  it,  any  more  than 
washing  the  feet  one  of  another, — also  a  Jewish  rite, 
and  a  thing  more  positively  commanded,  and  with 
great  solemnity,  and  which,  nevertheless,  hath  been 
little  in  use  in  the  church  of  Christ.  And  as  said 
the  Apostle  Paul,  (I  speak  as  to  wise  men  :  judge  ye 
what  I  say :  the  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless,  is  it 
not  the  communion  of  the  blood  of  Christ?  The 
bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the  communion  of 
the  body  of  Christ  ?  For  we,  being  many,  are  one 
bread,  and  one  body ;  for  we  are  all  partakers  of  that 
one  bread/  And,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
so  also  is  it  now. 

"  Great  hath  been  the  apostasy  of  mankind  from 
the  heavenly  substance,  and  even  from  the  shadow 
also  j  and  all  has  become  unto  them  as  one  shadow, 
as  the  dark  night  and  shadow  of  the  earth  •  and  great 
idolatry  hath  been  committed  by  the  professors  of  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  therein  and  thereby.  And 
even  at  this  day  great  is  the  apostasy  from  the  true 
substance,  and  superstition  is  committed  and  reigning 
in  the  imitation  of  this  shadow,  whilst  the  living 
substance  is  still  neglected  and  decried. 

"I  sought  the  Lord  in  this  ordinance,  as  thou, 
mistaking,  calls  it,  but  found  him  not  therein  j  but 
in  a  day  of  deep  distress  and  hour  of  bitter  affliction, 
when  hell  opened  her  mouth  and  eternal  death  stood 


T  II  DMAS    STOR  Y. 


63 


ready  to  devour,  when  terrors  unspeakable  laid  hold 
on  my  soul,  amazed  and  suddenly  arrested  for  a  debt 
I  could  not  number  or  pay,  and  despair  encompassed 
me  about, — then  cried  I  unto  the  living  Lord  with 
exceeding  lamentation,  from  the  depth  of  affliction, 
and  in  true  resignation  to  his  holy  will;  and  his  mercy 
sprang  in  as  the  dawning  of  the  morning. 

M  The  day  dawning,  the  night  retires;  and  the  sub- 
stance come,  the  shadow  vanishes.  My  dear  though 
unknown  friend,  when  the  beloved  of  thy  soul  appears, 
if  the  world,  and  the  things  and  friendship  and  glory 
of  it,  be  not  thy  beloved,  thou  wilt  not  then  mind  his 
picture,  if  it  were  his  picture,  nor  mind  his  shadow, 
though  he  had  even  said,  'Look  upon  this  till  I  come/ 
It  is  true  thou  wilt  not  then  contemn  his  picture 
when  he  is  with  thee  :  no  more  do  I,  but  have  a  due 
esteem  for  all  he  hath  commanded,  in  their  times, 
dispensations,  and  ends.  Nor  do  I  lightly  esteem 
those  who  use  that  in  imitation  with  a  good  intent 
and  sincere  mind,  but  pity  them  that  they  are  come 
no  nearer  the  kingdom,  which,  though  at  hand 
seventeen  hundred  years  ago,  is  not  yet  come  unto 
those  who  are  set  down  contented  under  the  shade  of 
night,  and  dreaming  of  things  of  which  they  have  no' 
kuowledge  or  enjoyment. 

"  Go  into  the  sunshine,  and  turn  thy  face  toward 
the  sun,  and  the  shadow  will  be  behind  thee;  but 
turn  thy  back  on  the  sun,  and  the  shadow  will  be 
before  thee,  and  the  more  thou  followest  it,  the 
more  it  will  fly  thee,  and  the  more  thou  goest  after 


64 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


it,  the  farther  from  the  sun.  And  this  is  the  state 
of  apostatized  Christendom  at  this  day,  and  hath  been 
for  many  ages. 

"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  within,  and  stands 
not  in  eating  and  drinking,  nor  comes  with  outward 
observation,  but  in  righteousness  and  peace,  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost;  to  which  the  only  true  and 
living  God,  through  the  inward  revelation  of  his 
eternal  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  bring  thy  precious 
soul !  And  that  is  the  only  thing  that  can  truly 
satisfy,  where  the  soul  is  alive  by  the  breath  of  life 
from  God,  and  hungry  and  thirsty  indeed;  though  I 
am  willing  thus  to  take  a  little  pains  for  thy  present 
information. 

"  2dly.  And  now  as  to  baptism.  To  John  the  Bap- 
tist, who  was  the  immediate  forerunner  of  Christ, 
came  the  word  of  God  in  the  wilderness,  commanding 
him  to  preach  repentance  to  the  Jews,  to  whom  alone 
he  was  sent  to  proclaim  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  be 
then  at  hand,  and  to  baptize  the  people  in  water, 
directing  them  to  believe  in  him  who  was  to  come 
after  him,  who  was  Christ  the  Lord,  then  among 
them,  though  not  known  at  that  time  to  be  the 
Messiah,  either  by  John  himself  or  any  other.  But 
John  declared  that  he  baptized  with  water,  and  that 
after  him  was  to  come  one  more  worthy  and  powerful 
than  he,  who  should  baptize  them  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  fire,  and  that  John  must  decrease,  and 
Christ  increase. 

"  When,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did  appear,  he  like- 


THOMAS  STORY. 


65 


wise  preached  repentance,  as  also  did  his  disciples, 
who  baptized  with  the  same  water-baptism  that  John 
did,  and  at  the  same  time,  but  not  in  the  name  of 
one  to  come,  testifying  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah  sent 
of  God  unto  Israel.  The  disciples  of  Christ  being 
thus  in  the  practice  of  water-baptism  cotemporary 
with  Johu,  and  the  Lord  Christ  present  with  them, 
they  continued  in  that  practice  till  after  his  resurrec- 
tion ;  and  then  he  declared  and  established  his  own 
proper  baptism,  so  foretold  by  John  as  aforesaid,  say- 
ing, '  Repentance  and  remission  of  sins  must  be 
preached  in  his  name  unto  all  nations,  beginning  at 
Jerusalem.'  'And  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me/  said 
he,  'in  Jerusalem,  in  Samaria,  in  all  the  countries 
round  about,  and  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 
All  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  is  given  unto  me  : 
go  ye,  therefore,  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
teaching  them  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you  ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world.'  And,  to  explain  what  he  had 
thus  said,  he  further  added,  '  Go  into  all  the  earth, 
and  preach  the  gospel  unto  every  creature.  He  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  ;  but  he 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And,  behold,  I 
send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you ;  but  tarry 
ve  at  Jerusalem  till  ye  are  endued  with  power  from 
on  high ;  but  ye  shall  receive  power  after  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  come  upon  you;  for  John  truly  baptized 
6* 


66 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


with  water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  not  many  clays  hence.'  1 

"By  all  which  Scriptures  it  is  clear  that  John  bap- 
tized with  water  only  j  that  the  disciples  of  Christ,  in 
his  presence,  baptized  with  the  same,  and  at  the  same 
time;  that  John  had  foretold  them  of  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  be  administered  by  Christ;  and 
that  Christ  declared  and  appointed  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  and  not  any  water-baptism,  where  he  com- 
manded them  to  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them, 
kc.  And  as  the  terms  of  their  mission  were  into  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  whenever 
any  water  was  used,  (of  which  we  have  few  instances 
after  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit,)  it  was  not  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  as  from 
that  text,  but  only  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus ; 
which  demonstrates  it  was  John's  baptism,  and  from 
no  new  command,  but  only  the  continuance  of  the 
practice  of  water-baptism  they  had  been  in  during 
his  time,  before  the  commencement  of  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  initiates  into  the  divine 
nature. 

"And  when  the  churches  became  able  to  bear  the 
mystery  and  spirituality  of  the  true  baptism,  the 
apostle  declared  that  '  there  is  one  Lord,  one  faith, 
and  one  baptism.  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all  bap- 
tized into  one  body,  the  church,  which  is  his  body, 
the  fulness  of  him  who  filleth  all  in  all.'  And  as  John 
said  of  his  baptism,  1  I  must  decrease,'  and  of  Christ's 
baptism,  'He  must  increase/  and  that  which  de- 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


07 


creaseth' gradually  comes  to  an  end,  so  water-baptism 
came  to  an  end  many  ages  ago,  when  the  church  of 
Home,  by  her  own  wisdom  and  authority,  which  is 
from  beneath,  without  any  institution  of  Christ,  and 
being  ignorant  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
invented  and  imposed  rantism,  or  sprinkling  of 
infants,  instead  of  the  baptism  of  Christ,  from  which 
they  are  departed,  and  between  which  there  is  no 
resemblance. 

"  As  the  baptism  of  Christ  must  increase,  without 
any  determinate  time  of  being  full,  so  that  which 
increaseth  indefinitely  never  endeth.  The  baptism 
of  Christ  is  an  initiation  into,  or  beginning  of,  the 
manifestation  of  his  power  and  kingdom  in  the  mind 
of  man, — which  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  nor 
does  it  stand  in  any  of  the  elements  or  powers  of  it, 
but  is  his  eternal  power  manifested  in  men ;  and  as 
we  began  to  know  this  baptism  we  began  to  die  to 
the  world  and  to  all  the  vain-glory  and  evils  o£  it, 
and  became  hated  and  persecuted  of  those  who  are 
after  the  flesh  and  are  not  yet  thus  baptized  or  born 
of  the  Spirit,  but  remain  in  the  nature  and  spirit  of 
this  world.  Yet  we  are,  by  grace,  made  able  to  suffer 
all  things,  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  hath  loved  us 
and  into  whose  name  and  nature  we  were  baptized  by 
him. 

"And  as  to  thy  notion  that  as  Christ  was  baptized 
with  water  by  John,  so  must  we  also  be  baptized  with 
the  same,  by  his  example,  this  is  not  a  just  conse- 
quence, but  a  common  fallacy,  invented  by  the  letter- 


68 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


mongers  and  hirelings  who  pervert  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures for  worldly  wealth,  power,  and  honor,  though 
to  their  own  destruction,  and  the  ruin  also  of  many 
other  souls.  For  as  Christ,  being  born  after  the  flesh 
among  the  Jews,  submitted  to  the  law  of  Moees,  and 
was  circumcised,  and  had  offerings  offered  for  him  as 
others  had,  that  he  might  fulfil  all  the  righteousness 
of  the  law,  and  end  it,  so  he  was  likewise  bap- 
tized of  John,  to  fulfil  the  righteousness  of  that 
dispensation  also ;  that,  all  righteousness  being  ful- 
filled and  concentred  in  him,  he  might  become 
righteousness,  and  the  dispenser  of  it  to  them  that 
believe,  through  all  generations.  As  it  is  written, 
*  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given;  and 
the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulders;  and  his 
name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the 
Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  [tbe  Lord  our 
righteousness,]  the  Prince  of  Peace.  Of  the  increase 
of  l*is  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no  end/ 
'  Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification,  and  redemption  ■  for  in  him  dwelleth 
all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.  And  ye  are 
complete  in  him,  which  is  the  head  of  all  principality 
and  power.  In  whom  also  ye  are  circumcised,  with 
the  circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off 
the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh,  by  the  circumcision 
of  Christ ;  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  wherein  also 
ye  are  risen  with  him,  through  the  faith  of  the  opera- 
tion of  God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead/  etc. 
'Blotting  out  the  handwriting  of  ordinances  that  was 


T  II  O  M  A  S    S  T  0  It  Y. 


GO 


against  us/  &c.  '  Let  no  mau,  therefore,  judge  you  in 
meat  or  in  drink,  or  in  respect  of  an  holy-day,  or  of 
the  new  moon,  or  of  the  sabbath-days,  which  are  a 
shadow  of  things  to  come;  but  the  body  is  of  Christ/ 
&c.  '  Wherefore,  if  ye  be  dead  with  Christ  from  the 
rudiments  of  the  world,  why,  as  though  living  in  the 
world,  are  ye  subject  to  ordinances?'  &c. 

uXow,  observe,  from  this  doctrine,  that  circumci- 
sion, baptism  with  water,  and  all  religious  ceremonies 
respecting  any  thing  that  may  be  eaten  or  drunk,  or 
holy-days,  or  new  moons,  or  sabbath-days,  and  all 
such-like  ordinances,  are  here  ended  and  fulfilled  in 
the  Lord  Christ,  the  ever-living  substance.  So  that 
neither  circumcision  nor  uncircumcision,  baptism  with 
water  or  no  such  baptism,  availeth  any  thing,  but  a 
new  creature,  born  of  him,  the  Word  of  Life,  and 
complete  in  him,  who  is  the  perfection  of  beauty  and 
head  of  all  principality  and  power  ;  so  that  if  we  have 
Christ  we  have  all,  and  without  him  there  is  nothing 
at  all  in  religion. 

"3d.  The  euemy  of  man  having  deceived  him, 
under  pretence  of  a  friend,  and  wrought  sin  and 
iniquity  in  his  heart,  and  thereby  defiled  him  and 
obtained  a  place  in  his  heart,  the  Son  of  God,  through 
the  love  and  mercy  of  the  Father,  is  made  manifest 
there,  to  discover  unto  man  the  works  of  the  devil, 
and  to  destroy  them,  and  to  create  man  anew  in  the 
image  of  God,  in  righteousness  and  holiness,  and  to 
bring  forth  in  him  a  new  life.  And,  man  being  thus 
the  perfect  workmanship  of  the  Almighty,  created 


TO 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


anew  unto  good  works  by  Jesus  Christ,  his  thoughts, 
words,  actions,  and  deportments  are  changed.  As  it 
was  natural,  whilst  in  his  first  state  in  this  life,  to 
think,  do,  and  speak  evil,  so,  in  his  new  nature,  being 
born  of  the  Spirit,  it  is  natural  to  him  to  think 
righteously,  speak  truth  without  guile,  and  do  good 
unto  all  men,  and  no  evil,  in  thought,  word,  or  action. 

u  And  though  the  Lord  Jesus  closed  his  sermon 
upon  the  mount  with  these  words,  'Be  ye  therefore 
perfect,  even  as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect,'  yet  it  was  not  by  the  letter  of  the  book  only 
that  I  was  first  induced  to  believe  this  doctrine  of 
sinless  perfection  in  this  life,  but  by  the  revelation 
of  Jesus  Christ  as  he  is  the  wisdom  and  power  of 
Grod,  who  condemns  sin  in  mankind,  and,  by  the 
manifest  operation  of  his  power  within,  condemns  the 
man  of  sin,  casts  him  out  and  spoils  his  goods.  And 
though  we  have  many  temptations  from  time  to  time 
to  strive  against,  we  find  power  in  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
whereby  to  resist  and  overcome  them.  For  it  is  not 
we  alone  that  strive  or  resist  the  evil,  but  first  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  in  us  is  lifted  up  as  a  standard  and 
ensign  against  the  enemy,  and  then  we  through  him 
become  as  co-workers  in  effecting  our  own  salvation, 
by  continuing  in  faith  and  obedience  in  well-doing. 

"If  thou  considers  only  thy  own  weakness  and 
infirmities,  as  in  the  nature  and  properties  of  the  first 
Adam  in  the  fall,  in  whom  all  die,  thou  wilt  hardly 
believe  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God;  but,  coining 
to  the  revealed  power  of  Christ,  the  second  Adam, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


71 


the  quickening  Spirit,  in  whom  all  are  made  alive, 
thou  wilt  not  only  believe,  but  through  faithfulness  to 
his  power,  whicli  worketh  in  thee  against  all  sin,  may 
come  to  attain  that  perfection  and  righteousness  and 
holiness  which  thou  canst  not  now  conceive. 

"And  though  we  are  tempted  as  he  was  tempted 
but  sinned  not,  yet  if  we  do  not  yield  we  are  not 
charged ;  for  it  is  no  sin  to  be  tempted ;  but  to  con- 
sent and  enter  into  the  temptation  is  sin.  Aud  how 
should  we  know  the  power  of  the  grace  of  God,  or 
what  degree  of  virtue  we  have  thereby  attained,  if 
we  were  not  tempted  ?  And  how  should  we  dis- 
tinguish the  voice  of  the  tempter  if  we  knew  not  the 
voice  of  the  Word  of  Life  ?  But  as  God  tempteth  no 
man,  nor  is  himself  tempted  of  evil,  so  he  suffers  not 
any  of  his  children,  son  or  daughter,  to  be  tried  so 
as  not  to  escape  the  evil  if  they  adhere  to  his  grace. 

"  By  a  sinless  state  in  this  life,  we  do  not  mean 
such  a  degree  wherein  it  is  not  possible  for  us  to 
commit  sin,  but  such  a  stability  in  Christ,  in  whom 
there  is  no  sin,  that  we  may  resist  all  the  temptations 
we  meet  with,  after  our  old  sins  in  time  of  ignorance 
are  pardoned  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  our 
whole  man  sanctified,  justified,  and  strengthened,  by 
his  power  remaining  in  us,  against  the  old  adversary, 
who  still  seeks  to  regain,  by  his  subtlety,  his  old  place 
in  us  before,  by  means  of  any  passion  or  affection 
unmodified  or  unsubdued. 

"Christ  said  to  the  Jews  who  did  not  believe,  'If 
ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins. 


72 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


Whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come.'  And  again,  to  those 
who  did  believe,  '  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then 
are  ye  my  disciples  indeed.  And  ye  shall  know  the 
truth;  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free.  And  if  the 
truth  make  you  free,  then  are  you  free  indeed.'  In 
this  they  did  not  understand  him,  as  appears  by  their 
answer.  They  thought  he  bad  meant  some  outward 
freedom ;  but  he  intended  their  freedom  from  sin, 
which  is  a  greater  deliverance  than  out  of  Egyptian 
bondage.  By  this  it  appears  that  if  we  die  in  our 
sins  we  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  There 
is,  then,  great  need  that  we  come  to  Him  in  time  who 
alone  is  able  to  save  us  j  as  it  is  written,  <  He  shall 
save  his  people  from  their  sins,'  but  not  in  them. 

"The  more  we  obey  the  discoveries  and  leadings 
of  the  Spirit  of  truth,  the  more  he  sets  us  free ;  and 
the  more  we  are  co-workers  with  Christ,  the  more 
perfect  we  are.  Many  things  which  have  formerly 
been  temptations  to  us,  being  overcome  by  faith  in 
his  grace,  given  by  the  word  of  faith  working  in  our 
hearts  by  love,  are  now  no  temptations  at  all;  so  that 
the  work  becomes  easier  by  degrees.  I  know  the 
Lord  is  able  to  carry  on  his  own  work,  when,  and  how, 
and  to  what  degree,  it  pleaseth  him.  And  if  the 
creature  resists  him  not,  and  quenches  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  by  wilful  or  known  sinning  against  him,  his 
work  of  perfection,  as  all  his  works  are  perfect,  can 
never  fail. 

"They  who  are  God's  workmanship  in  his  Son  are 
perfect,  so  far  as  he  hath  wrought;  and  they  who 


THOMAS    8  T  O  B  Y. 


have  given  way,  and  been  co-workers  with  Satan,  so 
far  are  imperfect.  If,  then,  Satan,  who  is  a  creature, 
was  able,  through  the  subtle  working  of  his  power  and 
cunning,  which  is  finite,  to  deprave  innocent  man 
and  betray  him  into  sin  and  death,  much  more  is 
God,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  by  his  infinite  power 
and  wisdom  revealed  in  man  through  Jesus  Christ, 
able  to  restore  mankind  to  his  first  innocence  and  ' 
image  of  God,  in  righteousness  and  perfect  holiness, 
to  dissolve  the  chains  of  death,  and  fix  him  forever 
in  the  bounds  of  eternal  love,  light,  and  glory,  where 
no  darkness,  temptation,  or  defilement  can  approach, 
nor  any  fear  of  falling  can  appear  for  evermore. 

"  Oh,  my  unknown  friend,  great  is  the  mystery 
of  the  redemption  of  poor  lost  man,  who,  through  his 
ignorance  of  the  almightiness  of  God's  saving  arm, 
is  ready  to  fix  limits  and  bounds  to  the  immense  God, 
whose  wisdom  is  past  finding  out,  and  incomparably 
transcends  all  the  imaginations  of  the  thoughts  of 
every  creature,  men  and  angels.  I  could  tell  thee 
many  things  but  thou  art  not  in  a  condition  to  hear 
them ;  and  had  much  rather  thou  should  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  that  power  which  makes  perfect,  than 
write  many  things  to  thee  concerning  it, — which,  in 
the  state  thou  art  in,  might  prove  a  stumbling-block 
instead  of  assistance  to  thee. 

"But  though  it  was  not  the  Holy  Scriptures  that 
first  induced  me  to  believe  this  doctrine,  yet  I  have 
met  with  many  passages  therein  since  which  fully 
prove  it,  some  of  which  I  have  before  pointed  at 


74 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


herein.  The  great  end  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
God  is  to  save  mankind  from  the  power  of  sin,  the 
cause  of  eternal  death  and  separation  from  God;  and, 
that  sin  being  removed,  with  all  its  evil  effects,  which 
stood  as  a  partition-wall,  man  might  again  have  pre- 
sent fellowship,  in  measure,  with  the  Lord,  and  walk 
with  him  in  newness  of  life,  and  finally  be  crowned 
with  unspeakable  glory. 

"  God  is  light ;  sin  is  darkness ;  and  between  these 
two  there  can  be  no  fellowship.  But  sin  being  par- 
doned, as  declared,  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
the  root  thereof  done  away  and  destroyed  by  the 
manifestation  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  then  men  come  to 
dwell  in  Christ  as  he  dwells  in  the  Father ;  and  so 
they  have  true  knowledge  of  and  fellowship  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  and  with  one  another  in  him, 
who  is  light,  in  whom  there  is  no  sin  nor  darkness 
nor  shadow  at  all, — which  knowledge  and  fellowship 
is  greatly  wanting  among  the  professors  of  Christ  in 
this  confused  age  of  the  world. 

"As  to  that  passage  thou  alludes  to  in  an  epistle 
of  John,  where  it  is  said,  'If  we  say  that  we  have  no 
sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us/ 
if  we  say  that  we  have  not  sinned,  we  make  him  a 
liar,  and  his  word  is  not  in  us.  The  context  proves 
the  contrary  to  thy  intention ;  for  in  the  seventh 
verse  he  saith  that  4  if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is 
in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another, 
and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleauseth  us 
from  all  sin.'    And  again,  ( If  we  confess  our  sins,  he 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


75 


is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.' 

"The  Jews  were  a  people  who  built  much  on  the 
works  of  their  law,  thinking  themselves  blameless  in 
a  strict  performance  of  them ;  as,  '  Paul  was  circum- 
cised the  eighth  day/  &c,  -  touching  the  righteous- 
ness which  is  in  the  law,  blameless.'  And  it  seems, 
by  the  tenor  of  the  Apostle  John's  Epistle,  some  such 
there  were  among  the  disciples  at  that  time,  who 
were  not  come  rightly  to  see  that  they  were,  or  had 
been,  sinners,  and  so  could  not  see  the  true  reason 
of  the  coming  of  Christ,  to  make  them  righteous  and 
just  by  his  inward  work ;  which  could  not  be  till 
they  came  to  a  real  sight  of  their  own  sinful  and  de- 
generate state*  and  that  all  the  works  of  their  law, 
which  they  could  work  in  that  natural  state,  were 
but  as  an  unclean  thing.  And  that  apostle  having 
labored  to  convince  them,  first,  that  they  had  sinned, 
and  were  sinners,  notwithstanding  their  legal  perform- 
ances, how  strictly  or  exactly  soever  observed,  and 
though  as  to  these  they  might  be  blameless,  he  then 
proceeds  to  preach  perfect  redemption  and  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ,  especially  by  his  inward  workings 
and  teachings  in  their  minds,  figuratively  termed 
anointing;  as  it  is  written  concerning  himself,  simply 
considered  as  man,  'That  God  anointeth  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost.' 

"And  what  man  ever  more  fully  preached  the 
doctrine  of  perfection  in  this  life,  or  spoke  of  higher 
attainments  here,  than  this  apostle  doth  in  that 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


epistle,  where  he  saith,  1  Whosoever  is  born  of  God 
doth  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  seed  (that  is,  the  word 
of  God)  remaineth  in  him;  and  he  cannot  sin,  be- 
cause he  is  born  of  God'  ?  Again,  '  I  have  written 
unto  you,  young  men,  because  ye  are  strong,  and  the 
word  of  God  abideth  in  you,  and  ye  have  overcome 
the  wicked  one.'  And  their  'fellowship  was  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son/  in  the  pure  light,  where  no  sin 
can  come ;  and  the  apostles  were  not  only  there  them- 
selves, but  were  laboring  in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Christ,  to  bring  those  to  whom  they  preached  and 
wrote  to  the  same  state  and  fellowship/' 

We  know  of  no  one  among  our  numerous  Friends, 
who  have  written  upon  the  topics  herein  treated  of, 
who  has  advocated  the  peculiar  views  of  the  society 
in  relation  to  them  in  a  more  clear  and  logical  man- 
ner, and  in  a  style  at  the  same  time  more  concise 
and  agreeable,  than  Thomas  Story  has  done  in  his 
discussion  on  this  occasion ;  and  we  have  therefore 
quoted  his  remarks  at  some  length,  hoping  they  will 
call  the  attention  and  invite  the  earnest  consideration 
of  some  persons  under  whose  observation  they  might 
not  otherwise  have  come. 

The  next  service  in  which  we  find  this  earnest  and 
unwearied  laborer  in  the  work  of  the  gospel  was  a 
religious  visit  to  Ireland,  whither  he  went  some  time 
during  the  year  1698,  in  company  with  William  Penn, 
in  whose  society  he  traversed  a  large  part  of  that 
kingdom,  holding  meetings  wherever  they  went  and 
preaching  the  gospel  to  the  people.    Of  this  visit, 


T  H  0  M  A  S    STO  R  Y. 


77 


though  one  in  which  our  Friend  labored  greatly  in  the 
cause  of  Truth,  we  shall  not  here  give  the  particulars 
in  detail,  not  finding  any  thing  occurring  in  it  of 
special  interest. 

As  early  as  the  year  1693,  Thomas  Story  had  felt 
a  strong  inclination  toward  a  visit  to  Friends  in 
America,  but  remained  in  England  for  several  years 
after,  until  the  autumn  of  1698,  when,  in  company 
with  his  friend  Roger  Gill,  he  sailed  from  the  port 
of  Deal  in  a  vessel  bound  for  Virginia.  AVhen  they 
had  been  at  sea  about  two  weeks,  they  encoun- 
tered a  storm  of  such  fury  that  at  one  time  they 
were  almost  in  despair  of  ever  seeing  land  again. 
Being  all  collected  in  the  steerage,  and  sitting  for  a 
while  in  silence,  our  Friend  knelt  down  and  prayed 
earnestly  to  the  Lord,  that,  if  there  was  any  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  his  further  progress,  he  would  be 
pleased  to  take  it  away.  As  soon  as  he  had  risen,  he 
at  once  felt  an  assurance  that  all  would  be  well;  and, 
taking  his  friends  by  the  hand,  he  told  them  that  the 
worst  was  over;  u  and  scarcely,"  says  he,  "were  the 
words  out  of  my  mouth,  when  the  storm  abated  and 
the  weather  became  favorable."  For  some  time  after, 
and  during  the  remainder  of  the  voyage,  though 
meeting,  as  is  usual  at  that  season  of  the  year,  wTith 
much  rough  weather,  they  encountered  nothing  of  an 
alarming  character ;  and  at  last,  on  the  7th  of  12th 
month,  after  being  at  sea  for  six  weeks,  arrived 
safely  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  came  to  anchor  near 
Old  Point  Comfort.  A  few  days  after,  they  took  the 
7* 


78 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


ship's  long-boat,  and,  sailing  up  Queen's  Creek, 
arrived  at  the  house  of  a  Friend,  Edward  Thomas, 
where  they  met  with  a  most  cordial  welcome.  Here 
they  held  their  first  meeting  in  America,  which  was 
largely  attended;  and  several  of  the  neighboring 
planters,  who  were  not  Friends,  were  seriously  im- 
pressed by  Thomas  Story's  sermon. 

After  holding  a  number  of  meetings  in  these  parts, 
they  set  out  through  the  forest  for  North  Carolina. 

A  journey  in  those  days  from  one  Province  to 
another  was  a  serious  undertaking,  riding  on  horse- 
back being  the  only  mode  of  travelling  practicable, 
where  there  were  few  or  no  roads  and  the  settlements 
often  several  days'  journey  distant  from  each  other. 
Travellers  through  these  regions  were  obliged  to  cany 
provisions  with  them  and  be  prepared  to  pass  the 
night  in  the  woods  whenever  darkness  overtook  them  : 
when  they  came  to  rivers  too  deep  to  ford,  their  only 
recourse  was  to  swim  their  horses  over.  In  this 
manner  did  our  Friend  and  his  companion  proceed, 
on  their  gospel  mission,  through  a  wild  and  thinly- 
settled  district,  journeying  on  from  one  settlement  to 
another,  and,  wherever  two  or  three  could  be  gathered 
together,  bringing  to  them  the  glad  tidings  of  salva- 
tion.  During  their  travels  through  Virginia  and 
Carolina  our  Friend  was  deeply  interested  for  the 
Indians,  whom  he  met  with  frequently;  and,  whenever 
opportunity  was  afforded,  he  endeavored  to  impart  to 
them  a  knowledge  of  the  Christian  religion  as  far  as 
they  were  capable  of  receiving  it.    On  one  occasion, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


79 


having  assembled  a  number  of  them  together,  and 
wishing  to  instruct  them  in  relation  to  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  he  told  them  that  God  had  placed  a 
witness  in  the  heart  of  every  man,  which  approves 
that  which  is  good  and  reproves  that  which  is  evil. 
The  chief's  reply  to  this  proves  clearly  that  even  the 
most  ignorant  and  barbarous  people  are  not  left  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong;  and  his  ex- 
pression also  shows  a  full  appreciation  of  the  distinc- 
tion between  intellectual  and  intuitive  perceptions. 
"This,"  said  the  chief,  (pointing  to  his  head,)  "  often 
deceives  me;  but  here,"  said  he,)  laying  his  hand  upon 
his  heart,)  "it  is  always  right  and  true."  Our  Friend 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  conversion  of  these 
poor  people  was  not  likely  ever  to  be  brought  about 
by  teaching  them  the  historical  part  of  Christianity, 
but  that,  if  it  was  accomplished  at  all,  it  must  be  by 
the  inward  working  of  His  Spirit  who  came  to  be  the 
light  of  the  Gentiles,  in  preparing  their  minds  for 
the  reception  of  Biblical  instruction. 

Having  finished  his  labors  in  Virginia  and  Carolina, 
our  Friend  returned  to  Maryland,  and  thence  con- 
tinued his  journey  into  Pennsylvania,  arriving  in 
Philadelphia  after  nearly  six  months  of  unremitting 
labor  in  the  Southern  Provinces.  Here  he  remained 
for  several  days,  lodging  with  Samuel  Carpenter,  a 
prominent  Friend  at  that  day :  he  attended  the  week- 
day meeting,  which  was  large  and  very  satisfactory. 
Some  days  after,  he  went  to  Merion  Meeting,  which 
at  that  time  was  mainly  attended  by  Welsh  Friends  : 


80 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


on  this  occasion  several  persons  preached  in  the 
Welsh  language,  which  though  our  friend  could  not 
understand,  he  remarks,  "I  was  as  much  refreshed 
as  if  it  had  been  in  my  own  language,  and  was  con- 
firmed in  the  belief  that  where  the  Spirit  is  the  same 
in  the  preacher  and  hearer,  and  is  the  Truth,  the 
refreshment  is  rather  in  that  than  in  the  form  of 
words  or  the  language." 

Returning  to  Philadelphia  in  the  evening,  he  re- 
mained there  a  few  days  and  then  set  out  on  a  jour- 
ney to  New  England,  passing  through  New  Jersey 
and  holding  meetings  there.  Arriving  at  Stamford, 
in  Connecticut,  and  wishing  to  hold  a  meeting  there, 
and  as  the  laws  were  still  very  severe  against  Friends, 
he  was  obliged  to  obtain  the  sanction  of  a  justice  of 
the  peace  before  he  could  be  permitted  to  hold  the 
meeting,  as  was  intended,  at  the  inn  where  he  lodged. 
The  justice  inquiring  of  Thomas  and  his  companion 
what  call  they  had  to  preach,  they  asked  him  what 
call  he  considered  necessary  in  that  case.  "  The  call 
of  the  people,"  he  replied.  On  this  they  declared 
that  their  calling  was  of  God,  and  appealed  to  the 
principle  of  Truth  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  judge 
whether  they  were  called  of  Grod,  and  that  any  other 
calling  they  did  not  regard.  Upon  this  the  magis- 
trate declared  that  he  would  not  tolerate  them.  They 
then  informed  him  that  they  did  not  come  for  his 
toleration,  but  only  to  give  notice  of  their  intention 
to  him  as  a  magistrate,  so  that  if  a  large  concourse 
of  people  should  come  together  it  might  give  rise  to 


THOMAS  STORY. 


81 


no  disturbance.  The  justice  intimating  that  he 
would  use  means  to  prevent  the  people  from  coming 
to  hear  them,  they  left  him  and  returned  to  their  inn. 
Here  they  found  a  number  of  persons  assembled, 
under  various  pretences,  but  in  reality  come  to  see 
the  Friends ;  for  so  much  were  they  in  fear  of  their 
own  clergy  that  they  did  not  dare  openly  to  attend 
the  meeting.  Supper  being  then  ready,  Thomas 
Story  prayed  before  they  sat  down  to  eat.  To  this 
the  people  were  very  attentive,  and  thought  better 
of  the  Quakers  than  at  first,  as  they  had  been  always 
under  the  impression  that  Quakers  received  the  mer- 
cies of  God  like  brutes,  never  asking  a  blessing  nor 
returning  thanks ;  but  after  this  they  behaved  in  a 
more  friendly  manner.  Xext  day  at  nine  o'clock, 
the  time  appointed  for  the  meeting,  a  number  of 
the  townspeople  being  present,  while  the  Friends 
were  sitting  in  silence,  a  constable  entered,  with  a 
warrant  from  the  mayor,  containing  various  charges 
against  them,  as  heretics,  blasphemers,  &c.  After 
the  warrant  was  read.  Thomas  Story  stood  up  and  in- 
formed the  people  that  the  law  of  England  was  now 
in  favor  of  toleration,  and  that  they  as  subjects  had 
no  right  by  their  charter  to  have  any  law  to  the  con- 
trary. To  this  the  embryo  republicans  replied  that 
they  did  not  depend  upon  the  law  of  England,  but 
stood  on  their  own  foundation ;  and,  having  a  law  of 
their  own  that  no  Quakers  should  hold  a  meeting 
there,  none  should  be  permitted,  and  then  com- 
manded our  Friends  to  begone.  Upon  this  Roger  Gill 


82 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


stood  up  and  began  to  address  the  people,  whereupon 
the  constable  ordered  him  to  be  silent;  but  Roger  was 
not  thus  to  be  put  down,  but  continued  recounting  to 
the  people  the  many  antichristian  acts  of  the  New. 
England  people,  of  their  hanging,  whipping,  and 
otherwise  abusing  the  Quakers  at  a  former  period, 
and  that  he  believed  the  same  spirit  was  alive  among 
them  still,  and  that  they  would  fain  be  at  the  same 
cruel  work  yet  if  they  had  not  been  overruled  by  the 
authority  of  the  home  Government.  The  constables, 
being  unable  to  effect  their  object  of  silencing  the 
Friends,  now  ordered  the  people  to  disperse;  but,  many 
still  remaining,  they  commanded  the  hostess  of  the 
inn  to  forbid  the  Friends  her  house.  This  she 
was  obliged  to  do ;  but  they,  nothing  daunted,  went 
through  the  streets,  Roger  Gill  crying  out,  in  a  loud 
voice,  all  the  way,  "  Woe,  woe  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
place,  who  profess  God  and  Christ  without  the  know- 
ledge of  God,  and  void  of  his  fear  !"  with  some  other 
words  to  the  same  effect,  and  accompanied  with  a 
power  which  quieted  the  people  and  brought  them 
under  subjection,  so  that,  returning  toward  their  inn 
and  standing  outside  of  the  door,  our  Friends  soon  had 
a  large  audience  collected  about  them,  and,  despite  all 
the  opposition  of  the  magistrates,  at  last  succeeded  in 
having  a  full  and  free  expression  of  all  they  had  to 
deliver.  In  the  evening  several  of  the  elders  of  the 
church,  coming  to  the  inn,  commenced  a  dispute  with 
the  Friends  on  the  doctrine  of  election ;  but  in  this 
they  gained  little  advantage,  Thomas  Story  being 


THOMAS  STORY. 


83 


favored  to  explain  many  passages  of  Scripture  quoted 
by  them  as  asserting  the  doctrine  of  election  and 
reprobation,  in  such  a  way  as  to  bear  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent construction  from  the  one  these  Presbyterians 
would  have  put  upon  them.  In  contemplating  the 
character  of  the  people  of  New  England  at  this 
period,  we  can  scarcely  believe  that  these  intolerant 
bigots  could  have  been  the  ancestors  of  a  people  who 
were  to  become  in  after-years  the  champions  of 
universal  freedom  and  are  at  this  day  often  found 
taking  the  part  of  the  weak  against  the  strong  and 
of  the  oppressed  against  the  oppressor.  Still,  so 
strangely  mingled  in  the  human  heart  are  the  springs 
of  good  and  evil,  that  even  in  this  stern  intolerance 
we  can  discern  the  first  germ  of  a  noble  spirit.  An 
uncompromising  hostility  to  all  that  was  false  accord- 
ing to  their  idea  of  truth  gradually  degeuerated  in 
them  into  hatred  for  all  who  differed  with  them  in 
opinion  j  and  yet  the  same  steadfastness  in  their  own 
way,  when  that  way  becomes  enlightened  by  a  better 
spirit,  is  often  the  stuff  of  which  are  made  true  mar- 
tyrs, who,  suffering  themselves  meekly  for  conscience' 
sake,  thus  learn  forbearance  toward  their  fellows. 

Continuing  his  journey,  Thomas  Story  met  with 
great  opposition  in  most  of  the  Xew  England  villages 
through  which  he  passed, — principally  from  the  clergy, 
who  were  disposed  as  far  as  possible  to  prevent  him 
from  preaching  to  the  people,  and  on  numerous  occa- 
sions violently  assailing  the  doctrines  of  the  Friends, 
and  seekiug  every  opportunity  to  draw  them  into 


S4 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


religious  disputes.  Their  principal  ground  of  anta- 
gonism to  the  Friends  was  their  disuse  of  the  ordi- 
nances, baptism,  &c.  In  these  discussions  Thomas 
Story  generally  took  the  ground  that  even  if  water- 
baptism  were  a  commanded  ordinance  under  the 
Christian  dispensation,  his  antagonists  were  them- 
selves as  far  from  practising  that  ordinance  as  origi- 
nally instituted  as  he  himself  was,  clearly  proving 
that  the  practice  of  sprinkling  infants  and  others  was 
nothing  else  than  a  popish  innovation,  introduced 
without  even  a  shadow  of  Scripture  authority;  and 
thus,  without  entering  into  any  abstract  discussion 
of  the  necessity  of  water-baptism  in  general,  he  was 
able  to  silence  all  opposition  by  merely  assailing  their 
way  of  administering  it.  At  Stamford,  Connecticut, 
in  a  discussion  with  some  of  the  clergy  there,  he  goes 
into  an  explanation  of  the  real  meaning  of  our  word 
"baptism,"  tracing  it  to  its  original  derivation  and  true 
signification,  thus  showing  to  the  priests  that  the  Qua- 
kers (though  setting  little  value  on  classical  learning 
as  a  qualification  for  gospel  ministry)  were  not  so  des- 
titute of  it  as  they  supposed,  and  that  when  occasion 
required  they  knew  how  to  make  good  use  of  it.  "  The 
word  BAPT&,"  says  Thomas  Story,  "  of  which  comes 
ftaitTitto,  in  the  Greek  language,  signifies  to  drown  or 
sink  in  water,  to  dip,  to  overwhelm,  to  plunge,  to  thrust 
into  or  go  into  water,  to  steep,  to  infuse,  to  dye  or  color, 
to  tincture,  or,  as  it  were,  to  impregnate  one  thing 
with  the  nature  of  another, — as  if  the  subject  of  bap- 
tism, which  is  dipped,  should  be  impregnated  with 


THOMAS  STORY. 


85 


the  qualities  of  the  instrument  of  baptism  in  which 
it  is  dipped  or  washed.  But  when  the  Greeks  wished 
to  express  sprinkling,  a  different  act  from  washing  or 
baptism,  they  use  the  word  'pwm£*t,  which  in  its 
various  moods  is  always  used,  as  Heb.  ix.  19,  where 
it  is  'EppavTiffs,  'he  sprinkled/  and  1  Peter  i.  2, 
fPeam<rat3v  atparoq  'lyeo!  Xptara,  and  aspcrsioncm  san- 
guinis Jesu  Christi,  '  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  ;'  so  that  rantizing,  or  sprinkling  of  infants, 
is  an  ordinance  of  Christ,  and  that  they  who  decline 
it  are  heretics  and  schismatics,  has  yet  to  be  proved, 
and  is  a  false  and  unchristian  charge.'7  Addressing 
himself  afterward  more  particularly  to  the  people  at 
large,  he  showed  that  they  had  no  baptism  at  all, 
even  taking  the  Scripture  authority  for  it  in  its  most 
literal  sense,  but  were  only  in  the  practice  of  a  super- 
stitious rite  originated  by  the  Church  of  Rome,  and 
as  originally  practised  by  that  sect  was  accompanied 
by  various  ridiculous  rites  and  ceremonies,  such  as 
anointing  with  oil,  putting  salt  in  the  child's  mouth 
and  spittle  upon  his  ears  and  nostrils,  and  then  ask- 
ing the  unconscious  infant,  as  though  he  understood 
them,  whether  he  renounced  the  devil  and  all  his 
works,  and  the  pomps  and  vanities  of  the  world,  &c. : 
the  effect  they  ascribe  to  all  this  being  that  it  remits 
both  original  and  actual  sin,  and  also  infuses  justify- 
ing grace  into  the  soul;  then  the  Lutherans  and 
Episcopalians,  reforming  somewhat  from  Rome,  re- 
jected some  of  their  superstitions,  but  still  retained 
the  godfathers  and  godmothers  and  the  sign  of  the 
8 


80 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


cross.  And  when  their  predecessors,  the  Presby- 
terians and  Independents,  again  dissented  from  these 
last,  they  rejected  a  portion  of  these  rites  as  super- 
stitions j  but,  their  eyes  not  being  fully  opened,  they 
could  not  perceive  that  the  sprinkling  of  infants  was 
nothing  but  popery  like  the  rest.  And  either  so 
ignorant,  or  else  wilfully  blinded,  were  their  ministers, 
that  Friends  are  branded  as  schismatics  and  deniers  of 
the  ordinances  of  Christ,  for  only  bearing  a  testimony 
against  popish  relics  and  inventions.  After  Thomas 
Story  had  concluded,  an  old  minister  present,  taking 
him  aside,  said,  "  Pray,  sir,  cannot  you  pass  quietly 
along  and  let  these  things  alone?  for  though  there  is 
little  in  them  the  people  believe  in  them,  and,  being 
innocent  things,  they  do  no  harm."  To  this  he  replied 
"that,  as  their  forefathers  and  themselves  always 
professed  to  be  very  earnest  in  reforming  the  errors 
and  superstitions  of  the  papists  and  in  exposing  them 
to  the  people,  so  he  was  concerned,  for  no  other 
motive  than  the  love  of  truth  and  of  his  fellow-men, 
to  expose  in  like  manner  all  errors  that  yet  remained, 
so  far  as  he  was  enabled  by  divine  grace  to  do  so; 
and  thus,  though  sprinkling  of  infants  was  of  little 
moment  in  itself,  but  having  been  set  up  as  an  ordi- 
nance of  Christ,  which  it  was  not,  it  became  of  per- 
nicious consequence  to  the  Christian  religion  :  the 
people  being  taught  to  believe  they  have  Christian 
baptism  when  in  truth  they  had  none  at  all,  they 
were  thus  led  into  a  false  security,  and  seek  no 
further  for  the  true  baptism  of  Christ,  which  is  only 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


87 


by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  without  the  knowledge  of 
which  no  soul  could  be  saved."  Concluding  with 
these  remarks,  and  their  opposers  having  nothing  to 
say  in  refutation,  our  Friends  returned  to  their  lodg- 
ings, and  soon  after  left  the  town  and  continued  their 
journey.  Holding  a  meeting  some  days  later  at 
Amesbupy,  Massachusetts,  they  were  assailed  by  a 
certain  Joseph  Ring,  who  came  forward  and  read 
from  a  paper  a  number  of  objections  against  Friends 
and  their  doctrines.  The  first  of  these  was,  "  You 
say  your  preachers  have  an  infallible  spirit,  and  that 
Christ  doth  dwell  in  them."  JSelieviug  that  the 
views  of  the  society  of  Friends  on  the  subject  of 
gospel  ministry  and  spiritual  inspiration  are  often 
misunderstood  by  people  of  other  denominations,  we 
would  call  their  attention  to  the  following  remarks 
made  by  Thomas  Story  in  answer  to  this  objection. 

"  Then  I  proceeded  thus: — 'I  now  perceive  I  have 
one  to  deal  with  who  is  ignorant  of  Christianity, 
though  as  a  seeming  inquirer  :  I  therefore  begin  with 
that  point  of  infallibility.  People,  it  is  necessary  in 
this  case  that  you  should  clearly  understand  what  is 
intended  by  an  infallible  spirit'.  We  do  not  mean  a 
spirit  whereby  to  know  what  weather  it  will  be  to- 
morrow, or  the  good  or  ill  fortunes  of  mankind  in 
this  world,  or  the  like,  but  mean  only  the  Spirit  of 
Truth,  that  is,  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  who  is  the  Truth, 
and  infallibly  discovers  sin  in  men,  good  and  evil>  right 
and  wrong,  in  matters  of  religion,  aud  infallibly  leads 
into  all  truth,  and  out  of  all  error,  in  all  things 


4 


88  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

respecting  our  own  salvation,  as  the  same  is  received, 
believed  in,  and  obeyed.  Those  who  are  made 
ministers  of  this  spirit,  by  its  powerful  working  in 
them,  may  thereby,  but  not  otherwise,  infallibly 
declare  the  mind  of  God  to  the  people,  being  them- 
selves perfectly  assured  by  the  Spirit  of  the  truth  of 
what  they  deliver ;  and  yet  do  not  pretend  to  impose 
their  own  sense,  though  infallible  to  themselves,  upon 
any  others,  but  as  they  also  are  satisfied  of  the  same 
truths  by  the  same  Spirit.  And  as  sure  as  men  can 
distinguish  and  be  certain  of  outward  objects  by  the 
eye  and  light  of  the  sun  in  the  firmament  of  heaven, 
so  sure  men  may  be  in  matters  of  a  spiritual  nature, 
by  the  inshining  of  the  light  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
into  the  understanding.  But  if  mankind  will  not 
fully  believe  and  obey,  and  attentively  wait  upon  the 
Spirit  in  their  hearts,  they  may  and  do  err,  both  in 
doctrine  and  practice  j  and  this  is  the  cause  why  so 
many  and  great  errors  are  in  the  world.'  And  then 
I  turned  to  my  opponent  and  queried,  'Dost  thou 
believe  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  an  infallible 
spirit  V 

"He  answered  yea.  'Well,  then,  since  thou  hast 
agreed  to  be  determined  in  these  points  by  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  I  prove  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  in  all 
Christians ;  and  first,  in  his  ministers  :  "At  that  day 
ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  you  in 
me,  and  I  in  you."  And  secondly,  in  all  others  : — 
"Now,  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is 
none  of  his;  and  if  Christ  be  in  you,  the  body  is 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


89 


dead  because  of  sin."  These  words,  "any  man,"  in 
the  text,  are  indefinite  terms,  signifying  every  man, 
male  and  female;  I,  thou,  he,  she,  they,  (pointing 
to  the  people  all  around,)  all  people.  And  since  thou 
hast  confessed  this  is  an  infallible  Spirit,  and  the 
Scriptures  say  every  man  hath  it,  as  it  is  written, 
"The  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every 
man  to  profit  withal, "  then  thou  and  I  both  have  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  or  once  had  it ;  and  if  we  are  not 
infallibly  led  by  it  in  the  way  of  Truth,  we  have  not 
profited,  and  it  is  our  own  fault  and  loss.' 

"By  this  time  he  was  weary  of  his  undertaking, 
and  silent  as  to  any  further  argument  on  the  first 
point;  and  so  we  proceeded  to  the  other, — viz. :  That 
Christ  dwells  in  his  people. 

"To  prove  the  absurdity,  as  he  thought,  of  this,  he 
brought  that  Scripture  where,  Thomas  and  the  apostles 
doubting  of  the  bodily  appearance  of  Christ  after  his 
resurrection,  the  Lord  said  to  them,  <A  spirit  hath 
not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me  have.'  'Now/  said 
he,  1  since  Christ  hath  flesh  and  bones,  as  we  have, 
how  can  he  be  in  every  one  of  you  V 

"Upon  this  I  desired  the  people  to  be  still,  and 
told  them,  'This  man's  imagination:  concerning 
Christ's  being  in  his  people  is  very  gross,  carnal,  and 
foolish,  and  not  at  all  as  we  understand  it ;  for  we 
speak  of  the  light  and  Spirit  of  Christ  in  the  sense 
mentioned  in  the  other  argument,  and  not  of  his 
human  body.  But  as  the  body  of  the  sun  is  at  a 
great  distance  in  the  open  firmament,  yet  his  light 


90 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


and  influence  shine  over  and  affect  all  the  earth 
and  into  many  thousands  of  houses  and  places  at  the 
same  time,  and  in  what  proportion  the  light  shineth 
into  any  house,  hy  the  same  proportion  is  the  virtue, 
influence,  and  power  of  the  sun  there  dispensed  j  so, 
and  infinitely  more,  it  is  with  Christ,  whose  holy 
body,  though  far  remote  from  us,  yet  his  Spirit  is 
everywhere,  in  all  hearts;  and  he  is  the  "Word  of 
God,"  and  "true  light/'  that  lighteth  every  man  that 
cometh  into  the  world.'  The  mystery  which  hath 
been  hid  from  ages  and  generations,  but  now  is  made 
manifest  to  his  saints;  to  whom  God  would  make 
known  what  is  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  this  mystery 
among  the  Gentiles,  (whose  offspring  we  are,)  which 
is  '  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory.' 

"But  I  have  something  more  to  say  of  Christ's 
being  in  men.  It  is  no  new  thing  for  perverse  men 
to  oppose  the  Truth  j  and  no  wonder  it  falls  thus  to 
our  lot  now,  since  the  like  objection  was  moved  to 
the  Apostle  Paul,  and  by  such  too  as  had  sinned, 
seeking  a  proof  of  Christ's  speaking  in  him;  and  all 
the  proof  he  thought  fit  to  give  them  was,  to  bid 
them  examine  themselves  whether  they  were  in  the 
faith : — '  Prove  your  own  selves ;  know  ye  not  your  own 
selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be 
reprobates  V 

"My  adversary  quickly  turned  to  the  place,  and  I 
bid  him  read  it  to  the  people,  and  then  said  to  him, 
'  Thou  art  the  man  seeking  a  proof  of  Christ  being  in 
us.    Hast  thou  examined  thyself  on  that  account  V 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


1*1 


'Yea/  'Hast  thou  proved  thyself?'  'Yes.'  'What 
hast  thou  fouud  V  Then  he,  perceiving  what  the  con- 
clusion was  like  to  be,  would  have  evaded  and  shuffled. 
'No,  but/  said  I,  'give  me  a  plain  and  positive 
answer :  hast  thou  found  Christ  in  thee  ?'  But  he 
would  not  answer.  Then  I  observed  to  the  people, 
'He  confesseth,  you  see,  that  he  hath  examined  and 
proved  himself,  but  dares  not  say  he  hath  found 
Christ  in  him :  therefore  the  text  is  conclusive  upon 
him,  he  is  a  reprobate ;  and  as  such  I  set  him  aside, 
as  not  worthy  to  be  talked  with  any  more  in  matters 
of  Christianity.'  He  said  no  more,  but  soon  after 
slunk  away  out  of  the  company.  This  struck  an  awe 
upon  the  people  J  for  the  Lord  was  with  me,  and  was 
my  director  to  his  own  glory;  and  presently  came  to 
me  a  young  man  in  a  consternation,  and  said,  'Ah, 
sir !  I  would  not  have  been  before  you  to-day,  as  that 
man  was,  for  the  whole  world/ 

"Immediately  upon  this  came  another  sober  young 
man  to  me,  and  said,  'I  have  heard  what  you  said 
this  day  in  the  meeting,  and  many  things  I  liked, 
which  you  explained  beyond  what  I  ever  heard  from 
any  of  your  persuasion;  but  one  thing  I  am  not 
satisfied  in :  that  which  you  call  spiritual,  I  call 
natural.'  'What  is  that?'  said  I.  'You  said,  that 
which  reproves  sin  in  mankind  is  sufficient  for  salva- 
tion, provided  it  be  believed  in  and  obeyed,  which  I 
cannot  receive.  For  that  Scripture  which  you  men- 
tioned will  be  against  you,  where  you  said,  "When 
the  Gentiles,  which  have  not  a  law,  do  by  nature 


02 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  things  contained  in  the  law,  these,  having  not 
the  law,  are  a  law  unto  themselves,  which  show  the 
work  of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts."  Now/  said 
he,  'that  which  reproves  sin,  the  Gentiles  had  before 
Christ  came,  even  from  the  beginning ;  how  then  can 
that  be  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  but  only  the  law,  the 
same  that  reproves  men  now  ?  It  is  the  remains  of 
that  righteousness  that  was  in  Adam  in  his  state  of 
creation  before  he  fell.' 

"I  answered,  'That  if  he  rightly  considered  that 
righteousness  which  was  in  Adam  before  he  fell,  it  is 
the  same  that  the  saints  and  people  of  God  now  have, 
after  they  are  restored  out  of  the  fall.  The  better  to 
understand  this,  let  us  observe  what  John  the  Evan- 
gelist saith  concerning  Christ  the  Word  of  God : — 
"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  In  him  was  life, 
and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  And  the  light 
shineth  in  darkness,  and  the  darkness  comprehended 
it  not.  That  was  the  true  light,  which  lighteth 
every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  And  the 
Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we 
beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of 
the  Father,)  full  of  grace  and  truth.  And  of  his  ful- 
ness have  we  all  received,  and  grace  for  grace.  For 
the  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth 
came  by  Jesus  Christ."' 

"The  Word,  Wisdom,  and  Power  of  God,  there- 
fore, clothed  and  veiled  with  a  reasonable  soul  and 
human  flesh,  is  Jesus  Christ,  born  into  this  world  by 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


03 


the  blessed  Virgin  Mary.  This  word  is  the  right- 
eousness of  God,  which  was  light  and  wisdom  in 
Adam  before  he  fell;  and  by  whom  God  judged  and 
condemned  Adam  for  sin,  in  disobeying  and  depart- 
ing from  this  Word,  light,  and  life,  through  unbelief 
and  actual  transgression.  It  was  by  the  light  and 
life  of  this  "Word  that  God,  the  Father  of  all,  strove 
with  the  old  world  to  reclaim  them,  as  by  a  law 
written  in  them,  and  against  which  they  likewise 
rebelled, — whereby  the  Almighty  was  provoked  at 
length  to  destroy  them  by  the  flood,  save  righteous 
Xoah,  who  had  not  offended,  and  his-  family. 

"And  after  the  flood  the  same  law  of  light  and 
life  was  still  with  and  in  the  posterity  of  Xoah  and 
his  family,  by  which  they  had  the  knowledge  of  God, 
of  the  creation,  and  of  moral  righteousness ;  and, 
being  obedient,  they  were  ruled  and  governed  thereby 
for  a  time.  It  was  by  this  divine  nature  in  their 
hearts,  and  not  by  their  own  fallen  and  corrupt 
nature,  that  they  did  the  things  contained  in  the 
moral  law;  but  by  degrees  they  likewise  degenerated, 
as  the  old  world  did,  and  departed  from  the  law  of 
light  which  gave  them  that  knowledge:  ' Because 
that,  when  they  knew  God,  they  glorified  him  not  as 
God,  neither  were  thankful,  but  became  vain  in 
their  imaginations,  and  (departing  from  that  light) 
their  foolish  hearts  were  darkened,'  and  they  became 
darkness, 

'•Departing  from  the  wisdom  of  this  divine  Word, 
they  became  fools  and  vile  idolaters ;  and  therefore 


94 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


God  departed  from  them,  and  '  gave  them  up  to  their 
own  hearts'  lusts,  and  to  believe  and  follow  lies  and 
vile  affections.  And  even  as  they  did  not  like  to 
retain  God  in  their  knowledge,  God  gave  them  up  to  a 
reprobate  mind,  to  do  those  things  which  are  not 
convenient )  being  filled  with  all  unrighteousness, 
fornication,  wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness, 
full  of  envy,  murder,  debate,  deceit,  malignity,  whis- 
perers, backbiters,  haters  of  God,  despiteful,  proud, 
boasters,  inventors  of  evil  things,  disobedient  to 
parents,  without  understanding,  covenant-breakers, 
without  natural  affection,  implacable,  unmerciful.' 
And  though  they  knew  at  the  same  time,  by  that 
law  of  light,  that  the  judgment  of  God  was  against 
them  for  these  things,  yet  they  did  them,  and  took 
pleasure  one  in  another  therein.  And  therefore  God 
left  them  under  the  power  of  their  own  sins,  in  this 
miserable  state,  for  many  ages. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  God  made  choice  of  Abraham 
and  his  posterity,  in  whom  to  restore  this  law  of  light 
and  life.  For  the  children  of  Israel,  being  in  bond- 
age and  a  state  of  slavery  in  Egypt,  were  also 
degenerated  and  become  transgressors ;  and  therefore 
God  added  the  law  of  moral  righteousness,  by  the 
mediation  of  Moses,  his  servant,  written  on  tables  of 
stone  by  the  finger  of  God;  which,  for  the  trans- 
gressions of  the  people,  were  broken  by  the  mediator 
of  that  law,  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  before  which 
they  were.  But  the  mercy  of  God  returned  unto 
them,  and  he  commanded  Moses  to  prepare  other 


THOMAS  STORY. 


95 


tables  of  stone,  on  which  to  write  the  same  law  : 
which  thing,  though  matter  of  fact,  is  also  an  alle- 
gory. For  the  law  of  light  and  life,  being  written  in 
the  hearts  of  men  from  the  beginning,  was  broken 
and  blotted  out  by  their  sins;  but  the  Most  High,  in 
love  and  mercy  to  lost  and  degenerate  mankind,  pro- 
vided a  more  excellent  mediator  than  Moses,  and  of 
a  better  and  more  powerful  law,  which  I  may  further 
speak  of  in  the  sequel.  Though  this  law  was  given 
by  Moses,  by  the  command  of  God,  and  the  people 
received  it  as  reasonable  and  good,  yet,  being  in- 
wardly departed  from  the  light  and  life  of  the  divine 
Word,  that  outward  law  could  not  give  them  life,  but 
condemnation  j  for  they  could  not  keep  it  in  the 
state  they  were  in;  and  therefore  the  Almighty,  in 
justice  and  mercy,  restored  to  them  a  manifestation 
of  the  same  Word,  and  light  and  life  in  him.  This 
is  the  eternal  Word  and  commandment  of  God 
preached  by  Moses  in  that  day  unto  Israel  in  the 
wilderness,  of  whom  he  saith,  '  This  commandment 
which  I  command  thee  this  day,  it  is  not  hidden 
from  thee,  neither  is  it  far  otF :  it  is  not  in  heaven, 
that  thou  shouldst  say,  Who  shall  go  up  for  us  to 
heaven,  and  bring  it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it 
and  do  it  ?  Neither  is  it  beyond  the  sea,  that  thou 
shouldst  say,  Who  shall  go  over  the  sea  for  us,  and 
bring  it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it  and  do  it?  But 
the  Word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth  and 
in  thy  heart,  that  thou  mayest  do  it/ 

"In  this  manner  was  Christ  preached  by  Moses 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


many  ages  before  he  came  in  the  flesh,  and,  after  he 
did  so  come,  was  preached  in  the  same  way  by  the 
Apostle  Paul  j  for  the  same  that  Moses  preached  as 
the  Commandment  and  the  Word,  the  apostle  calleth 
Christ,  and  the  Word  of  faith,  whom  they  preached, 
and  whom  they  knew  no  more  after  the  flesh,  after 
they  had  thoroughly  preached  him  come  in  the  flesh, 
but  consequently  as  he  is  the  '  Word  of  God,  Light 
of  the  world,  divine  Truth,  and  quickening  Spirit.' 

"And  again,  'All  Israel  did  eat  the  same  spiritual 
meat  and  did  all  drink  the  same  spiritual  drink,  for 
they  drank  of  that  spiritual  Rock  that  followed  them, 
and  that  Rock  was  Christ/  And  this*is  also  the 
same  of  which  he  speaketh  where  he  saith,  i  Who- 
soever drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him 
shall  never  thirst;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up 
into  everlastiDg  life.' 

"And,  to  make  this  necessary  point  yet  plainer, 
observe,  1  In  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast, 
Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let 
him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on 
me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall 
flow  rivers  of  living  water.  But  this  spake  he  of  the 
Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on  him  should  receive ; 
for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet  given,  because  that 
Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified.' 

"But  the  Jews  also  rebelled  against  the  Light, 
Spirit,  and  Word  of  God  so  preached  unto  them  by 
Moses  aforesaid;  and  therefore  the  law  without  could 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


07 


not  save  them ;  yet  the  righteous  and  most  merciful 
Creator  did  not  forsake  them  forever,  but  opened  a 
door  of  hope,  by  his  gracious  promises  aforehand, 
that  they  might  believe  and  obey  when  they  came  to 
pass ;  and  therefore  saith,  1  Behold  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with 
the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of  Judah; 
but  this  shall  be  the  covenant :  I  will  put  my  law  in 
their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts,  and 
will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people/ 
Again,  I  will  put  my  fear  in  their  hearts,  that  they 
shall  not  depart  from  me. 

"The  Almighty,  of  his  abounding  mercy  and  kind- 
ness, remembered  likewise  the  apostate  and  benighted 
Gentiles,  promising  unto  them  also  the  same  law  and 
covenant  of  Light,  by  the  same  Mediator:  'I  the 
Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold 
thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a 
covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles.' 
And  he  said,  '  It  is  a  light  thing  that  thou  shouldst 
be  my  servant,  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacob,  and 
to  restore  the  preserved  of  Israel  j  I  will  also  give 
thee  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles,  that  thou  mayest  be 
my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the  earth.' 

"This  covenant  and  the  messenger  thereof  is  the 
same,  whom  the  Most  High  describes  aforehand,  '  to 
the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the  Gentile.'  To  the  Jew 
he  saith,  '  Therefore  the  Lord  himself  shall  give  you 
a  sign  :  behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a 
son,  and  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel.'  And  to 
9 


98 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


both  Jews  and  Gentiles  he  saith,  '  Behold  my  servant 
whom  I  uphold,  mine  elect,  in  whom  my  soul  delight- 
eth.  I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him.  he  shall  bring 
forth  judgment  to  the  Gentiles/  This  is  he  of  whom 
it  was  said  seven  hundred  and  forty  years  before  he 
came,  'Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is 
given,  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulder/  This  is  he  who  spake  unto  the  Father  in 
Spirit,  saying,  '  Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  wouldest 
not;  but  a  hody  hast  thou  prepared  me/  This  is  he 
who  received  that  holy  body  of  human  flesh,  with  a 
reasonable  soul,  the  complete  nature  of  man.  This 
is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary  j 
who,  by  command  of  the  Father,  wrought  all  those 
wonders  attributed  to  him  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"  This  is  he  who  offered  himself  upon  the  cross,  at 
Jerusalem  of  old,  'a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world/  This  is  the  Light  of  the  Gentiles,  in 
whom  they  are  to  believe  and  trust.  The  Mediator 
of  the  new  covenant,  not  of  works,  but  of  light  and 
life  from  God ;  not  that  which  is  natural,  but  eternal. 
This  is  the  true  witness  of  God;  the  finger  and 
power  of  God,  by  which  he  writeth  and  restoreth  the 
law  of  righteousness;  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life, 
which  makes  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death,  and 
which  the  law  without,  given  by  Moses,  could  not 
do.  This  is  the  Law  and  Word  of  Life  that  was  in 
Adam  before  he  fell. 

"  This  is  the  divine,  immortal,  and  unchangeable 
truth  of  God,  which  'reproves  the  world  of  sin,  of 


THOMAS    S  T  O  R  Y. 


99 


righteousness,  and  of  judgment;'  that  reproves  and 
manifests  sin  in  all  mankind;  and  for  want  of  faith, 
love,  and  obedience  to  this  divine  Law,  Light,  and 
Word  of  God,  the  faithless  and  disobedient  world 
remains  in  condemnation  by  that  Word.  For,  till 
they  do  so,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  remain  aud  are 
concluded  under  siu  ;  as  saith  the  Son  of  God,  '  He 
that  believeth  on  him  is  not  condemned ;  but  he  that 
believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because  he  hath 
not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only -begotten  Son  of 
God.  And  this  is  the  condemnation,  that  light  is 
come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  darkness  rather 
than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil.  He  that 
believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life;  and  he 
that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him.' 

"  As  the  mystery  of  iniquity  began  to  work  in  the 
days  of  the  apostles,  so  there  were  many  antichrists 
even  then  in  the  world,  who  were  neither  Jews  nor 
heathens,  but  professors  of  the  name  of  the  true  God, 
and  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  and  Saviour  of 
the  world  ;  and  they  went  out  from  the  apostles  and 
their  doctrine,  and  from  the  teaching  of  the  grace 
•  and  Spirit  of  God,  the  holy  anointing  which  teacheth 
all  things.  They  turned  their  ears  from  the  Truth, 
and  gave  ear  to  fables,  heaping  to  themselves  teachers 
after  their  hearts'  lusts,  having  itching  ears ;  they 
went  back  under  the  law  of  types,  which  was  ended  by 
the  law  of  liberty,  through  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

'■  And  as  great  is  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  it  hath 


100 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


so  wrought  in  the  Christian  world,  that  the  same  that 
is  so  called  is  degenerated  as  the  old  world,  and  as 
the  old  Gentiles,  the  heathen  and  apostate  Jews,  and 
become  antichristian,  and  in  utter  darkness  and 
confusion.  They  once,  in  the  days  of  old,  spake 
one  language  from  the  one  Word  and  voice  of  God, 
speaking  divine  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  of 
the  one  true  God,  and  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of 
God,  in  every  living  soul.  But  by  their  apostasy 
from  the  divine  light  and  Spirit  of  God,  and  from  his 
wisdom,  grace,  and  power,  they  followed  their  own 
spirit  and  wisdom,  which  is  darkness,  into  many  evil 
inventions,  and  multiplied  their  superstitions,  and 
became  miserable  idolaters,  worshipping  a  piece  of 
bread  for  their  God.  and  wallowing  in  all  the  sins  of 
the  Gentiles  and  heathens  of  old.  So  that  their  lan- 
guage, as  at  Babel,  is  confounded,  and  they  are  no 
more  one,  but  scattered,  and  shall  unite  no  more  till 
they  return  by  him  from  whom  they  are  fallen  •  to 
the  covenant  of  God,  even  that  true  light  of  his  Son, 
1  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world  y  of  whose  fulness,  all  those  who  now  believe 
in  him,  and  behold  his  glory,  as  of  the  only  and  first 
begotten  Son  of  God,  have  now  received,  as  they  did 
of  old,  and  grace  for  grace.  1  This  grace  bringeth 
salvation,  and  hath  appeared  to  all  men,  teaching  us 
that,  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  we  should 
live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present 
world.  By  this  grace  we  are  saved,  through  faith; 
and  that  not  of  ourselves:  it  is  the  gift  of  God/ 


THOMAS  STORY. 


101 


From  all  which  proofs  it  is  plain  that  the  same  that 
reproves  sin  in  man  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Word 
of  God,  which  in  the  beginning  was  the  light  of  men; 
and  it  is  not  natural,  but  spiritual,  and  the  mystery 
that  lay  hid  in  the  Gentiles  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world,  though  they  were  darkness,  and  this  light 
had  not  been  comprehended  by  them. 

"  During  the  time  that  passed  on  these  subjects,  the 
people  were  very  sober,  and  the  young  man,  being 
deeply  under  the  effects  of  a  wrong  education  and 
tradition,  replied,  '  Faith  in  this  light  cannot  be  suf- 
ficient; for  except  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 

"That  is  true;  but,  seeing  we  must  be  born  again, 
we  cannot  do  that  of  ourselves :  there  is  none  can  do 
it  for  us  but  God.  And  he  doth  that  great  work  by 
the  word  of  his  wisdom  and  power,  which  is  Christ, 
the  light  of  the  intellectual  world,  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness, and  glorious  luminary  of  the  mind.  And 
we  are  to  believe  in  him,  that  we  may  be  born  again 
of  him,  who  is  the  second  Adam,  the  Lord  from 
heaven,  the  quickening  Spirit;  as  it  is  written,  *  While 
ye  have  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be 
children  of  the  light/  'And  if  children,  then  heirs, 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ.'  But  it 
reasonably  followeth  that  if  no  faith  in  this  divine 
light,  then  no  children  of  God  through  him  who  is 
that  light,  and  elect  seed  of  God ;  and  if  not  chil- 
dren, then  not  heirs  of  God,  cor  of  his  promises, 
which  are  all  unto  this  divine  Seed,  and  all  true  in 
9* 


102 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


him.  And  if  we  do  not  believe  in  the  Word  of  God, 
we  cannot  please  him,  or  be  created  anew  unto  good 
works  by  him,  which  are  indispensable  to  every  child 
of  God,  as  the  evidence  of  that  faith  and  work  of 
regeneration  in  the  mind;  1  and  to  be  carnally  minded 
is  death,  but  to  be  spiritually  minded  is  life  and 
peace,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord/ 

"  Christ  testifieth  of  himself,  that  he  is  1  the  light 
of  the  world;'  and  the  apostles  of  Christ  were  sent  by 
him,  to  testify  that  God  is  light,  and  to  turn  man- 
kind 'from  darkness  to  that  light,  from  the  power 
of  Satan  unto  God;'  from  that  darkness  and  igno- 
rance which  had  covered  the  earth,  and  from  that 
gross  darkness  which  had  covered  the  people,  unto 
the  Son  of  God,  and  unto  the  Father  by  him. 

"So  then,  in  order  to  our  being  born  from  above, 
there  must  first  be  faith  in  Christ,  as  he  is  the  divine 
Light,  and  second  covenant  of  God;  and  the  first 
work  of  this  light  in  man  toward  that  faith  is  the 
manifestation,  reproof,  and  condemnation  of  sin  in 
the  heart,  mind,  and  understanding  of  man  :  (For  all 
things  that  are  reproved  are  made  manifest  by  the 
light;  for  [after  the  manner  of  men]  whatsoever  doth 
make  manifest  is  light.' 

"Thus  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  con- 
cur clearly  to  the  proof  of  this  most  needful  doctrine, 
that  the  reprover  of  sin  in  the  mind  and  understand- 
ing of  man  is  not  man  himself ;  neither  is  it  the  evil 
one  who  tempts  man  to  sin.  For  then  he  would  be 
both  tempter  and  reprover,  and  divided  against  him- 


T  II  0  M  A  S    6  T  0  R  Y. 


103 


self;  and  even  that  way  his  kingdom  and  power 
could  not  stand.  But  it  is  the  divine  light  and  spirit 
of  Christ,  that  sin  may  be  manifested,  reproved, 
become  exceeding  sinful  and  be  condemned,  and 
through  faith  in  the  Manifester  and  Reprover  be 
forsaken,  pardoned,  remitted,  aud  by  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  Christ  fully  removed,  and  the  minds 
of  mankind  purified,  and  made  lucid  as  the  day,  and 
formed  into  light  in  the  Lord. 

"  In  the  conclusion  of  this  I  felt  the  weight  re- 
moved from  oft'  my  spirit,  and  the  love  and  goodness 
of  Truth  to  arise  toward  the  young  man ;  aud  he 
took  me  kindly  by  the  hand,  and  said  he  had  other 
points  to  discourse,  but  would  now  leave  them.  But 
I  believe  the  main  objection  was  removed,  and  the 
mark  hit,  for  he  departed  cheerful ;  and  some  others 
also  who  seemed  to  have  had  something  to  say,  when 
they  had  heard  these  things,  were  silent,  and  all 
ended  in  peace,  to  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  whose 
service  and  honor,  and  common  good  of  mankind, 
through  the  grace  of  God,  we  only  aim  at  in  all  these 
things." 

While  on  the  same  journey  through  Xew  England, 
or,  rather,  returning  from  it  toward  Philadelphia, 
through  Long  Island,  at  a  village  called  Jerusalem, 
he  was  led  into  some  explanation  of  bis  views  on  the 
subject  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  which  we  give 
as  a  concise  and  clear  expression  of  Friends'  belief  in 
that  particular. 

"  But  one  among  ourselves,  who  had  professed  the 


104 


BRIEF    M  E  ~Sl  0  I  R  OF 


Truth  about  twenty  years,  took  exception  against 
something  Roger  said  concerning  the  resurrection  of 
the  body;  for  in  his  testimony  he  said  he  had 
once  believed  that  if  the  body  of  a  man  were  burnt 
to  ashes,  and  those  ashes  sifted  through  a  sieve  over 
all  the  earth,  sea,  and  air,  yet  at  the  last  day  the 
same  dust  should  come  together  again,  and  the  same 
body  should  then  arise  ;  but/  said  he,  '  I  now  believe 
otherwise;'  and  then  cited  the  words  of  the  apostle 
to  the  too  curious  and  captious  inquirer,  c  Thou  fool, 
thou  sowest  not  that  body  that  shall  be,  but  bare 
grain/  &c.  And  this  man,  coming  into  the  Friends' 
house  after  the  meeting,  made  objections  in  public, 
saying  he  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  very 
same  body;  '  for/  said  he,  'the  apostle  saith,  it  is 
sown  a  natural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body/  &c. 
And  Roger  discoursed  with  him  on  the  subject,  and 
adduced  arguments  sufficient  to  have  satisfied  any 
sober  inquirer;  and  yet  he  continued  to  cavil.  Then, 
for  the  sake  of  the  people  and  others  that  might  be 
weak  among  us,  I  called  for  the  Bible  and  read  that 
part  to  them,  viz.  :  'That  which  thou  sowest,  thou 
sowest  not  that  body  which  shall  be,  but  bare  grain, 
it  may  chance  of  wheat/  &c.  '  Therefore  the  same 
body  doth  not  arise ;  but  as  the  grain  of  wheat  dies 
to  its  present  form  of  being,  by  sending  forth  a  blade, 
being  no  other  than  the  one  grain  expanded,  and 
that  blade  a  stalk,  and  often  many ;  and  that  stalk, 
or  stalks,  an  ear,  or  many,  with  other  grains,  but  not 
the  same  individual  grain,  of  the  same  nature,  shape, 


THOMAS    S  T  O  R  Y. 


105 


and  kind :  so  argues  the  apostle  for  the  resurrection 
of  the  body,  that  that  which  is  sown  ariseth  no  more, 
but  God  gives  it  a  body  as  it  pleaseth  him  ;  though 
no  comparison  will  hold  in  every  circumstance.' 
Upon  this  he  was  silent,  and  so  the  matter  ended. 
But  upon  our  inquiry  what  this  man  was,  he  appeared 
to  be  one  of  those  the  people  call  wet  Quakers.  No 
wonder,  then,  he  remained  so  carnally  minded,  though 
so  long  a  professor  of  the  Truth ;  fur  it  is  not  profes- 
sion only,  nor  confession  alone,  that  the  Almighty 
regards,  but  faith,  which  works  by  love,  to  the  con- 
version of  the  mind  to  the  will  of  God,  through  the 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit. 

"  Xow,  though  we  fully  believe  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  both  of  the  just  and  unjust,  yet  we  take 
not  upon  us  to  determine  the  mode  of  existence  in 
that  state,  or  with  what  bodies  they  shall  come,  but 
leave  it  with  the  Almighty  to  give  unto  us  bodies  as 
may  best  please  him.  But  there  is  a  wonderful 
mystery  in  this  thing,  far  out  of  the  sigbt  of  the 
natural  man ;  but  *  blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath 
part  in  the  first  resurrection  :  on  such  the  second 
death  hath  no  power.'  And  the  Son  of  God  hath 
said,  'I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life:  he  that 
believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall 
never  die.'  So  then  they  who  are  truly  in  him,  aod 
he  in  them,  are  arisen  with  him,  and  live  in  and  with 
him,  to  the  praise  of  his  own  arm,  who  reigneth  in 
glory  for  ever  and  ever." 


106 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


Leaving  Long  Island,  they  crossed  into  New  Jer- 
sey, and,  having  several  meetings  on  the  way,  arrived 
safely  in  Burlington  some  time  in  the  7th  month, 
1699.  Here  they  learned  further  particulars  of  a 
terrible  pestilence  still  raging  in  Philadelphia,  which, 
judging  from,  the  records  we  have  of  its  effects  and 
peculiarities,  must  have  been  the  yellow  fever;  and 
as  that  disease  was  then  raging  in  the  West  Indies, 
it  was  probably  brought  in  by  vessels  trading  from 
Philadelphia  to  those  islands.  As  the  time  of  the 
yearly  meeting  was  approaching,  Thomas  Story,  un- 
deterred by  any  fear  of  contagion,  proceeded  to 
Philadelphia  without  delay.  Here  he  found  many 
of  his  friends  on  sick  and  dying  beds;  and  the  deaths 
by  the  fever  had  averaged  from  six  to  eight  per  day 
for  several  weeks.  Our  friend  lodged  at  the  house 
of  Edward  Shippen,  who  had  recently  been  prostrated 
by  the  fever,  but  was  then  restored  to  health. 

Some  Friends  had  written  from  Burlington  to 
Friends  in  Philadelphia,  proposing  to  adjourn  the 
approaching  meeting  until  a  cooler  time.  To  this 
proposition  they  replied  that,  until  the  meeting 
should  come  together,  there  was  no  power  to  adjourn 
it :  at  the  same  time,  however,  they  thought  best  to 
discourage  the  great  numbers  of  young  persons  and 
others  who  usually  came  to  town  on  those  occasions, 
and  recommended  those  persons  only  to  attend  who 
were  necessary  to  conducting  the  affairs  of  society. 
The  meeting  was  consequently  held,  and  was  large, 
considering  the  circumstances.    And,  says  Thomas 


r 


THOMAS    STORY.  107 

Story,  who  was  present  at  the  time,  "the  Lord  so 
evidently  appeared  with  us  that  there  was  no  room 
for  doubt  but  that  it  was  his  will  that  we  should  hold 
our  meeting  and  serve  God  therein  as  well  in  times 
of  adversity  and  affliction  as  in  prosperity  and  less 
seeming  danger.  And  what  was  most  remarkable 
was  that  though  the  pestilence  had  raged  with  more 
than  usual  violence  the  week  before,  yet  there  was 
not  a  single  new  case,  either  among  those  who  came 
to  the  town,  or  among  the  citizens,  while  the  meeting 
lasted ;  and  though  there  were  several  cases  after  it  was 
over,  and  a  few  deaths,  yet  very  few  in  comparison ;  and 
soon  after  it  pleased  Providence  to  put  a  final  stop  to 
the  disease."  Thomas  Story  and  his  companion  both 
remained  in  Philadelphia  for  some  time  after  the 
meeting  was  over,  visiting  the  sick  and  afflicted,  and 
even  in  the  midst  of  this  great  distress  was  greatly 
comforted  by  the  manifest  presence  of  the  love  of 
God  to  his  people,  and  in  the  resignation  and  peace 
evinced  by  those  who  lay  ill  of  the  disease.  "I  saw," 
says  our  friend,  "no  lofty  countenances,  nor  heard 
any  jesting  or  laughter,  but  every  face  was  pale,  and 
many  hearts  were  humbled,  as  those  who  waited 
every  moment  for  a  summons  to  the  grave.  But  the 
just  appeared  with  open  faces,  and  walked  upright 
in  the  streets,  rejoicing  in  secret  in  that  perfect  love 
which  casteth  out  all  fear."  Though  Thomas  Story 
was  for  some  time  in  almost  daily  intercourse  with 
those  laboring  under  the  fever,  he  escaped  it  entirely; 
but  his  faithful  companion,  Roger  Gill,  who  had  prayed 


108 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


in  the  meeting  that  his  life  might  be  accepted  as  a 
sacrifice  for  the  people,  that  a  stop  might  be  put  to 
the  contagion,  was,  as  it  seemed,  taken  at  his  word; 
for  he  was  not  long  afterward  seized  with  the  malady, 
and  died,  in  a  strange  land,  far  away  from  home  and 
kindred,  yet  comforted  with  a  full  assurance  of  life 
everlasting  in  a  better  country. 

The  next  religious  service  in  which  our  Friend  was 
engaged  was  a  journey  through  Maryland  and  the 
lower  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  now  constituting  the 
State  of  Delaware.  Though  much  might  be  related 
of  the  particulars  of  this  journey,  both  profitable  and 
interesting,  our  space  will  not  allow  of  it  here.  We 
next  find  him,  in  the  latter  part  of  9th  month,  1699, 
at  Chester,  whither  he  had  gone  to  meet  with  Wil- 
liam Penn,  who  was  then  coming  up  the  river  Dela- 
ware on  his  second  and  last  visit  to  his  much-loved 
colony.  Their  meeting  was  a  joyful  one,  as  a  warm 
friendship  and  sympathy  had  long  existed  between 
them.  They  lodged  together  that  night  at  Chester, 
and  had  a  long  conversation  about  the  government 
of  the  Province.  After  this  interview  our  Friend  was 
engaged  in  the  service  of  the  gospel  in  different  parts 
of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  for  several  months, 
and,  returning  to  Philadelphia,  remained  there  till  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1700.  Feeling  now  that  his 
visit  to  Friends  in  America-  had,  through  the  grace 
of  G-od,  been  satisfactorily  accomplished,  he  was 
ready  to  return  to  England,  and  would  have  done  so 
but  that  his  friend  the  Proprietor,  finding  the  affairs  of 


THOMAS    S  T  O  II  Y. 


lv'J 


the  Province  greatly  embarrassed,  urged  him  to  remain 
and  give  his  assistance  in  the  arrangement  of  them. 
Having  received  letters  from  some  of  his  friends  in 
England  advising  him  to  remain  in  America,  and  also 
entertaining  a  very  great  love  and  respect  toward  Wil- 
liam Penu,  and  believing  that  his  services  might  be 
useful,  he  consented  to  remain  and  assist  his  friend  the 
Governor  in  these  important  affairs,  as  far  as  he  was 
capable  of  so  doing.  As  Thomas  Story  was  engaged 
in  no  regular  business,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  under 
the  necessity  of  maintaining  himself  by  some  occupa- 
tion, the  Governor  now  appointed  him  member  of 
the  council  of  state,  and  Keeper  of  the  Great  Seal: 
also  Master  of  the  Rolls,  and  one  of  his  commissioners 
.of  property  for  inquiring  into  and  confirming  old 
rights,  and  granting  lands  to  new  purchasers.  Under 
these  circumstances,  our  Friend  concluded  to  settle  in 
Philadelphia,  and,  in  addition  to  his  public  offices, 
was  much  employed  in  the  business  of  conveyancing, 
to  which,  as  we  have  mentioned,  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed at  home. 

Some  years  after,  in  1706,  he  was  married  to 
Anne,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Shippen  the  elder, 
and  received  as  part  of  her  dowry  the  large  house  on 
South  Second  Street,  which  was  in  after-times  torn 
down  to  afford  in  part  a  site  for  the  Bank  of  Penn- 
sylvania. This  house  afterward  became  the  property 
of  James  Logan,  and  is  described  as  being  then  the 
largest  house  in  Philadelphia,  and  beautifully  situated 
on  a  small  eminence,  with  a  row  of  tall  pines  in  the 
10 


110 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


rear  and  a  front  orchard  of  fruit-trees  close  by;  over- 
looking the  rising  city  beyond  the  Dock  Creek;  in  its 
front  a  beautiful  green  lawn,  gently  sloping  to  the 
stream,  and  the  whole  prospect  unobstructed  to  the 
Delaware  and  the  Jersey  shore.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  six  years  of  arduous  labor  in  the  service  of  the 
gospel  that  our  friend  was  permitted  to  settle  down 
in  this  pleasant  home.  About  the  middle  of  the  5th 
month,  1702,  he  departed  from  Philadelphia  on  a 
second  visit  to  New  England.  On  this  journey,  as 
during  the  former,  he  met  with  bitter  and  unceasing 
opposition  from  those  among  whom  he  was  called  to 
labor  in  the  gospel.  He  was  much  engaged  at  this 
time  in  encouraging  and  exhorting  to  steadfastness 
those  Friends  in  New  England  who  were  suffering 
severe  persecution  on  account  of  their  refusing  to 
serve  in  the  army, — a  law  having  been  made,  while 
Queen  Anne  was  at  war  with  Louis  XIV.,  that  all  the 
inhabitants  capable  of  bearing  arms  who,  upon  being- 
summoned,  should  refuse  to  serve,  should  be  fined, 
and  on  their  refusal  to  pay  such  fine  were  to  be  sold 
until  their  labor  was  sufficient  to  pay  their  fines  and 
charges.  This  severity,  however,  availed  but  little. 
The  poor  Quakers  suffered  patiently  long  imprison- 
ment and  slavery,  but  continued  faithful  to  their 
testimony  against  war. 

At  Bristol,  two  young  men  who  had  been  im- 
prisoned for  refusing  to  pay  these  fines  were  brought 
up  for  trial  while  Thomas  Story  was  there;  the  judge 
accusing  the  prisoners  of  obstinacy  and  inconsistency, 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


Ill 


in  refusing  to  pay  their  fines,  while  they  were  in  the 
habit  of  paying  without  any  complaint  the  general  pub- 
lic taxes,  which  might  also  be  appropriated  for  military 
purposes.  Our  Friend,  obtaining  permission  of  the 
court  to  speak,  stated  that,  if  it  was  desired  to  keep 
only  to  the  business  of  the  court,  he  would  discuss 
the  matter  entirely  as  a  legal  question;  but  that 
if  the  court  intended  to  charge  them  as  a  people  with 
errors  in  religion,  he  would  give  a  reason  why  they 
should  refuse  to  pay  the  one  tax  and  not  the  other; 
and  went  on  to  adduce  the  example  of  Christ  in  pay- 
ing the  tribute-money  to  Caesar,  and  then  to  show 
the  difference  between  a  law  directly  affecting  the 
person,  requiring  personal  service,  and  a  law  that 
only  required  a  general  tax  to  be  applied  by  the 
rulers  as  they  saw  fit,  and  therefore  did  not  hold  the 
individual  responsible,  and  that  the  Friends,  as  a 
people,  willingly  pay  such  general  taxes;  yet  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  being  not  of  this  world,  his  ser- 
vants cannot  fight,  though  they  ought  to  pay  taxes 
according  to  the  example  of  Christ  their  head.  We 
have  not  space  in  this  work,  nor  do  we  think  it 
desirable,  to  follow  the  journal  kept  by  Thomas  Story 
through  all  the  details  of  his  service  in  New  England. 
It  gives  us  a  constant  succession  of  disputations  on 
various  matters  of  religious  belief,  he  being  continu- 
ally attacked  by  ministers  and  others,  and  never 
refusing  to  enter  with  them  into  a  full  and  free  ex- 
planation and  logical  defence  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
society ;  yet  as  several  of  them  appear  to  us  to  be  on 


112 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


subjects  of  the  last  importance,  and  to  demonstrate 
the  truth  of  our  views  in  a  manner  entirely  con- 
clusive and  irrefutable,  we  will  offer  several  selec- 
tions. At  Sandwich,  where  he  had  held  a  meet- 
ing, and  was  afterward  called  upon  for  a  more  full 
explanation  of  some  assertions  made  in  the  meet- 
ing, he  goes  into  an  analysis  of  the  doctrines  of  per- 
fection and  regeneration  as  follows  : — 

"Having  had  some  conference  with  Captain  Basset, 
one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace  of  that  place,  as  above 
hinted,  a  Friend  told  him  that  I  purposed  to  call  at 
his  house  on  the  24th, — which  I  accordingly  did, 
where  I  found  assembled  a  great  many  Friends  and 
others ;  for,  my  intention  of  calling  being  known,  they 
on  both  sides  expected  a  dispute,  of  which  I  had  no 
apprehension.  Soon  after  we  had  entered  the  cap- 
tain's house,  he  made  a  short  speech  to  me,  in  the 
audience  of  as  many  as  could  throng  into  the  room, 
to  this  purpose,  viz.  :  f  Sir,  you  told  me,  upon  your 
last  conference,  that  you  would  be  glad  to  see  some 
of  the  more  moderate  sort  of  our  magistrates  and 
ministers,  and  to  discourse  with  them  on  religious 
subjects  :  here  are  several  of  our  magistrates  present/ 
(pointing  to  them,)  '  and  this  gentleman/  (pointing 
to  one  in  the  room,)  'is  our  teacher.' 

"  To  this  I  answered  by  giving  them  a  relation 
upon  what  subjects  the  captain  and  I  had  been  dis- 
coursing, and  that  what  1  said  concerning  their 
magistrates  and  ministers  was  with  respect  to  them 
at  large  in  the  Province,  and  not  in  that  place  only, 


THOMAS    ST  0  R  Y. 


113 


my  inclination  being  to  persuade  them  to  more 
moderation  concerning  our  Friends,  now  in  the  time 
of  war,  and  to  give  them  a  more  distinct  knowledge 
of  our  principles  than  I  perceived  they  hitherto  had. 
However,  seeing  so  many  people  had  heard  already 
what  subjects  the  captain  and  I  had  been  upon,  I  was 
willing  we  should  resume  them  in  their  audience. 
And  upon  my  mentioning  that  point  of  freedom  from 
sin  in  this  life,  their  minister  answered  that  (it  is  the 
duty  of  every  true  Christian  to  aspire  after  freedom 
from  sin  in  this  life.' 

"  I  replied  '  that,  seeing  he  acknowledged  that  to 
be  a  duty,  he  must,  of  consequence,  own  it  possible ; 
and  that  therefore  there  was  no  need  to  say  any  more 
about  it.' 

"To  this  he  replied,  'It  is  said,  "Ye  shall  be  holy, 
for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy and  yet  who  will 
presume  to  say  he  is  as  holy  as  God  V  Then  said  I, 
'  The  Scripture  saith,  "Sanctify  yourselves,  therefore, 
and  be  ye  holy;  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  And 
ye  shall  keep  my  statutes,  and  do  them  :  I  am  the 
Lord  which  sanctify  you."  Seeing  therefore  it  is  the 
Lord  who  sanctifies,  his  work  is  perfect,  he  doth  it 
fully  ;  and  what  God  hath  sanctified  let  no  man  call 
common  or  unclean.  And  God's  people,  who  are  so 
indeed,  are  a  holy  people;  as  it  is  written,  "For  thou 
art  a  holy  people  unto  the  Lord  thy  God :  the  Lord 
thy  God  hath  chosen  thee  to  be  a  special  people  unto 
himself,  above  all  people  that  are  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth.  The  Lord  did  not  set  his  love  upon  you, 
10* 


114 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


nor  choose  you,  because  ye  were  more  in  number  than 
any  people,  for  ye  were  the  fewest  of  all  people  j  but 
because  the  Lord  loved  you,"  '  &c. 

"I  added,  further,  'that  we  spake  not  of  degrees 
of  holiness,  as  comparing  man  with  God  therein, 
otherwise  than  the  Lord  himself  hath  done.  But  as 
God  is  absolutely  perfect,  and  infinite  in  all  essential 
attributes,  moral  and  divine,  so  there  is  a  holiness 
applicable  to  man  as  a  perfect  creature  of  God  :  "For 
in  the  beginning  God  created  man  in  his  own  image, 
in  righteousness  and  true  holiness;"  and  yet  we  do 
not  say  that  man  was  equal  therein  to  God.  Even 
so  man  may  be  truly  restored  by  God,  through 
Christ,  to  the  same  holiness,  and  may  and  ought  to 
confess  it,  to  the  honor  of  God,  without  any  presump- 
tion y  seeing  that  since  the  fall  of  man,  and  before 
the  coming  of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  God  hath  thus  said 
to  his  people,  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy  j"  which  the 
Lord  would  not  have  said  if  like  holiness  with  his 
own  had  not,  through  his  Word,  been  attainable  by 
them.  And  so  likewise  of  God's  righteousness,  as 
well  as  his  holiness,  where  it  is  said,  "Little  children, 
let  no  man  deceive  you  :  He  that  doeth  righteousness, 
is  righteous,  even  as  he  is  righteous."  ' 

"Upon  this  their  minister  was  silent;  but  the 
justices  and  people  being  desirous  that  some  other 
points  should  be  moved  and  debated,  Captain  Basset, 
having  great  sway  among  them,  proposed  that  we 
should  adjourn  from  his  house  to  their  meeting-house, 
where  I  might,  if  I  could,  make  out  the  matter  more 


T  II  O  M  AS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


115 


fully,  with  what  else  might  occur,  before  the  people. 
To  this  the  minister  was  averse;  but,  the  captain 
being  seconded  by  the  rest  of  the  justices,  the  minis- 
ter was  overruled,  and  to  the  meeting-bouse  we  went, 
and  the  people  followed  us.  It  was  some  time  before 
their  minister  pitched  upon  a  point  upon  which  to 
oppose  us;  but  at  last,  notwithstanding  what  had 
passed  before,  he  moved  this  question  : — 

"  <  Whether  there  be  a  state  of  freedom  from  sin 
attainable  in  this  life  V  And  I,  being  willing,  as 
the  Lord  might  enable  me,  to  make  our  doctrine  in 
that  point  plain  to  the  people,  assumed  the  affirma- 
tive, and  my  opponent  assumed  the  negative. 

"The  affirmative  being  mine,  I  was  to  prove  it, 
and  accordingly  began  and  proceeded  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  Apostles  Paul  and  John;  first  to  prove 
that  all  men  commonly  sin  in  this  life  in  a  state  of 
nature,  or  are  liable  thereto  by  temptation ;  and  then 
that  the  offers  of  salvation  are  made  by  God  the 
Father  unto  all  mankind  in  Christ  the  Son  of  God, 
and  that  whosoever  does  accept  of  those  offers  in 
God's  way  and  time  may  not  only  be  saved  at  last, 
but  freed  from  sin  in  the  present  world. 

"  The  Apostle  Paul,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans, 
proves  the  Gentiles,  of  whose  lineage  are  all  nations, 
the  Jews  excepted,  to  be  sinners,  by  breaking  the  law 
of  God  written  in  their  hearts,  whereby  they  became 
conscious  of  sin  and  guilty  before  God.  And  the 
Jews  likewise,  according  to  the  Psalms  of  David, 
where  it  is  written  concerning  them,  1  There  is  none 


116 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


righteous,  no,  not  one  :  there  is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one.'  And  again,  1  God  hath  concluded  thein 
all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all.' 
And  again,  '  The  Scripture  hath  concluded  all  under 
sin,  that  the  promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  might 
be  given  to  them  that  believe.' 

"  The  apostle  having  thus  proved  all  to  be  sinners, 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  he  proceeds  to  preach  salva- 
tion to  all  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  saying,  '  Being 
justified  freely  by  his  grace,  (which  hath  appeared 
unto  all  men,)  through  the  redemption  which  is  in 
Jesus  Christ  j  whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  pro- 
pitiation through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his 
righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past, 
through  the  forbearance  of  God.'  Which  faith  must 
be  obtained  in  this  life,  or  never. 

"  The  same  apostle,  in  another  place,  proceeds  to 
set  forth  freedom  from  sin  in  this  life,  likewise,  by 
the  same  Saviour,  saying,  '  As  by  the  offence  of  one 
judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation,  even 
so  by  the  righteousness  of  one  the  free  gift  came 
upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life/  This  free 
gift  is  '  the  grace  of  God,  which  bringeth  salvation, 
and  hath  appeared  to  all  men,  teaching  us  [especially 
all  who  believe  therein]  that,  denying  ungodliness 
and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously, 
and  godly  in  this  present  world.'  That,  1  where  sin 
once  abounded,  grace  might  much  more  abound; 
that  as  sin  hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so  might 
grace  reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


in 


by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  What  shall  we  say,  theu  ? 
Shall  we  contiuue  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound  ? 
God  forbid.  How  shall  we,  who  are  dead  unto  sin, 
live  any  longer  therein  ?  Knowiug  this,  that  our  old 
man  is  crucified  with  him,  that  the  body  of  sin  might 
be  destroyed,  that  henceforth  we  should  not  serve 
sin.  Knowiug  that  Christ,  being  raised  from  the 
dead,  dieth  no  more  j  death  hath  no  more  dominion 
over  him.  For  in  that  he  died,  he  died  unto  sin 
once  j  but  in  that  he  liveth,  he  liveth  unto  God. 
Likewise  reckon  ye  also  yourselves  to  be  dead  indeed 
unto  sin,  but  alive  unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.  Being  then  made  free  from  sin,  ye  became 
the  servants  of  righteousness ;  for  when  ye  were  the 
servants  of  sin  ye  were  free  from  righteousness  j  but 
now,  beiug  made  free  from  sin,  and  become  servants 
to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end 
everlasting  life.'  Again,  after  this  apostle  had  brought 
this  doctrine  of  freedom  from  sin  in  this  life  to  a 
period,  under  the  similitude  of  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  and  thereby  established  the  cer- 
tainty of  it,  he  resumes  the  same  doctrine  in  the 
beginning  of  the  seventh  chapter,  under  another 
similitude,  and  brings  it  to  the  like  conclusion  : — '  For 
when  we  were  in  the  flesh,  the  motions  of  sins  [or 
passions]  which  were  [discovered]  by  the  law  did 
work  in  our  members,  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto  death; 
but  now  we  are  delivered  from  the  law,  that  being 
dead  [or  being  dead  to  that]  wherein  we  were  held, 
that  we  should  serve  [God]  in  newness  of  spirit,  and 


118 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter ;  that  ye  should  be 
married  to  another,  even  to  him  who  is  raised  from 
the  dead,  [who  is  without  sin,]  that  we  should  bring 
forth  fruit  unto  God/  They  being  dead  unto  sin, 
and  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity  against  God, 
in  which  (a  state  of  nature,)  they  had  been  held,  they 
then  became  as  pure  virgins,  espoused  unto  him  who 
had  died  for  them  in  pure  and  matchless  love,  who 
cannot  be  joined  to  any  unclean  thing,  in  the  new 
covenant  of  everlasting  love,  light,  and  life  eternal, 
that  they  by  him  might  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God, 
which  is  holiness,  righteousness,  truth,  and  peace,  and 
not  sin  or  evil. 

"And  a  third  time  the  apostle  proceeds,  and  insists 
upon  the  same  doctrine,  and  finally  established  it 
unalterably  the  same  way  :  first,  setting  forth  the 
power  of  sin  in  the  flesh,  notwithstanding  the  moral 
precepts  of  the  law,  which  prove  insufficient  until  we 
come  unto  Christ,  or  until  his  power  be  inwardly 
revealed,  by  whom  alone  full  freedom  and  deliverance 
from  sin  in  this  life,  and  eternal  salvation  from  the 
wages  thereof  in  another  world,  are  come.  The 
apostle,  speaking  concerning  himself  and  the  church 
of  Christ  at  that  time,  and  the  state  they  had  been  in 
before  they  believed  in  him,  saith,  '  When  we  were 
in  the  flesh,  the  motions  of  sins  did  work  in  our 
members/  as  above.  The  knowledge  of  sin  comes  by 
the  law.  Sin  brings  spiritual  death,  and,  being  dis- 
covered by  the  commandment,  becomes  exceeding 
sinful.    The  law  is  spiritual;  but  man,  in  his  natural 


THOMAS  STORY. 


119 


and  fallen  state,  is  carnal,  a  slave  to  his  own  corrup- 
tions, lusts,  and  sins  j  for  though  the  law,  which  is 
light,  and  the  commandment,  which  is  as  a  burning 
lamp,  discovers  to  man  his  duty,  what  he  ought  to 
do,  and  leave  undone,  yet,  through  the  weakness  of 
nature  in  its  fallen  state,  and  the  suggestions  of  the 
evil  one  in  the  imaginations  and  carnal  mind,  (no 
good  thing  being  in  the  flesh,)  the  apostle  and  others 
under  the  law  were  held  captive,  and  under  a  long 
and  hard  struggle  for  liberty  and  victory,  but  could 
not  obtain  it  by  all  the  legal  precepts,  or  rational 
assent  unto  them,  or  by  his  own  learning  or  natural 
powers.  He  delighted  in  the  law  of  God  in  his 
mind  j  yet,  seeing  another  law  in  his  members,  to  be 
understood  as  the  temptations  of  the  evil  one,  working 
in  the  lusts  and  corruptions  of  the  carnal  mind, 
warring  against  the  law  of  his  mind,  and  bringing 
him  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin,  which  was  in  his 
members,  and  seeing  no  way  of  deliverance  from  sin 
by  the  law  of  Moses,  he  cries  out,  as  it  were  aloud, 
under  a  sense  of  the  whole  weight,  force,  and  body 
of  sin,  and  saith,  1  Ob,  wretched  man  that  I  am  !  who 
shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  V 

"  Now,  though  the  apostle,  in  all  this,  speaks  as  in 
the  first  person,  setting  forth  the  state  he  had  once 
been  in,  or  rather  the  state  in  which  the  Jews  were 
who  had  not  believed  in  Christ, — for  this  apostle  had 
been,  'touching  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  blame- 
less,'— yet  it  is  plain  that  neither  the  apostle  himself, 
nor  the  true  believers  and  followers  of  Christ  in  that 


120 


T>  RIFF    ME  M  0  I  R    0  F 


day,  were  in  that  state  of  sin  at  that  time,  but  re- 
deemed from  it.  For  instantly  after  the  apostle  had 
thus  cried  out,  <  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  death  V  he  immediately  and  most  comfortably 
answers,  '  I  thank  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord/  and  adds,  1  There  is  therefore  now  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit;  for  the 
law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made 
me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death.' 

"  Seeing  the  apostle  speaks  of  a  state  of  captivity 
and  bondage  under  the  law  or  power  of  sin  and  death 
in  this  life,  and  of  a  state  of  redemption  and  freedom 
from  that  law  also,  in  this  present  world,  by  Christ, 
including  the  apostle  himself,  and  every  living  mem- 
ber of  the  true  church,  neither  he,  nor  any  other  of 
them  as  such,  conld  be  in  those  two  opposite  states  at 
the  same  time,  or  in  so  short  a  time  as  he  was  in 
writing  that  part  of  his  epistle ;  which,  in  an  ordinary 
way,  might  be  in  less  than  two  hours;  but  sin  being 
reproved  and  condemned  in  them,  by  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  fulfilled  in  them,  and  they  become  the 
sons  of  God  thereby,  they  were  gradually  led  out  of 
sin  into  all  truth,  according  to  the  promise  of  Christ, 
whose  word  is  truth,  and  sure  forever  unto  all  who 
believe,  love,  and  obey  him. 

"  And  also,  in  another  place,  this  apostle  confirms 
the  same  doctrine,  with  respect  to  the  present  salva- 
tion and  attainments  of  the  true  disciples  of  Christ 


THOMAS  STORY. 


121 


in  that  day,  where  he  saith,  1  For  we  ourselves  also 
were  sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving 
•divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  liviDg  in  malice  and  envy, 
hateful,  and  hating  one  another;  but  after  that  the 
kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  towards  man 
appeared,  not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy,  he  saved  us, 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour;'  which  must  be  done  in 
this  life,  or  else  there  will  be  no  entering  the  king- 
dom of  God ;  for  no  unclean  thing  can  enter  there. 

"  The  Apostle  Paul  having  thus,  in  this  epistle, 
fully  preached  the  glorious  doctrine  of  liberty  from 
sin  in  this  life,  through  Jesus  Christ,  the  Word,  Son, 
Wisdom,  and  Power  of  the  Father,  as  he  likewise 
preaches  the  same  in  divers  others  of  his  epistles,  not 
necessary  to  be  mentioned  at  this  time,  I  proceed  to 
prove  the  same  doctrine,  by  the  authority  and  testi- 
mony of  the  Apostle  John,  who  preached  it  after  the 
same  manner, — that  it  may  be  established  from  the 
mouths  of  two  so  great  and  faithful  witnesses. 

"  1st.  That  all  have  sinned  and  wanted  salvation, 
•idly.  That  Christ  died  for  all  mankind.  And  3dly. 
That  all  who  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
follow  him  in  the  regeneration,  are  not  only  freed 
from  all  sin  in  this  life,  but  eternally  saved  in  that 
which  is  to  come. 

u  In  the  first  place,  the  apostle  reminds  the  church 
what  was  the  testimony  of  the  apostles  unto  them 
ll 


122  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

from  the  beginning  of  their  preaching  the  gospel,  and 
the  certainty  of  it,  as  what  they  '  had  heard,  seen,  and 
handled  of  the  Word  of  Life so  that  they  certainly 
knew  and  were  witnesses  of  the  truth  they  delivered 
to  others,  '  That  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is  no  dark- 
ness at  all.' 

"In  the  next  place,  that  they  had  formerly,  in 
their  natural  state,  been  sinners,  but,  having  confessed 
their  sins  to  the  Holy  One,  who  in  love  and  mercy 
convinceth  and  reproveth  the  world  of  sin,  then  his 
faithfulness  and  justice  were  made  manifest  in  them, 
not  only  in  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  against  his 
law,  but  likewise  in  cleansing  them  from  all  the  in- 
ward pollution  of  sin  and  unrighteousness. 

"  If  they  had  said  they  had  not  sinned,  they  would 
then  have  given  God  the  lie,  who  sent  his  Son  to  save 
them  from  their  sins;  but  though  all  have  sinned, 
yet  God,  in  infinite  love,  mercy,  and  goodness,  hath 
sent  his  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  'to  be  a  pro- 
pitiation for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world/  thereby 
declaring  his  mercy  and  goodness  in  him  unto  all 
mankind,  to  be  testified  in  due  time.  And  the  sin 
and  condemnation  of  the  world  stand  in  this  : — that 
Christ  is  come  into  the  world,  not  only  as  a  man,  and 
lifted  up,  but  also  as  he  is  the  true  light,  '  which 
lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world  j'  but 
the  world  neither  knoweth  him,  nor  believeth  in  him, 
(as  that  light,)  nor  loveth  him,  but  men  rather  love 
themselves,  and  darkness,  wherein  to  act  their  own 
will  and  hide  from  themselves  their  own  evil  deeds. 


THOMAS  STORY. 


123 


"And  although  this  divine  eternal  light  reproveth 
and  condemneth  all  sin  and  evil  in  mankind,  yet 
faith  therein  doth  not  only  restore  and  preserve  from 
final  perdition,  but  hath  the  promise  of  life  eternal. 
And  on  the  contrary,  he  that  belie veth  not  is  under 
present  condemnation,  not  for  acts  of  sin  and  evil 
only,  but  because  '  he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name 
of  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God.'  Thus  is  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  as  he  is  lifted 
up  and  crucified,  and  likewise  as  he  is  the  true  and 
divine  light,  and  that  faith  accompanied  and  evi- 
denced by  good  works,  necessary  and  effectual  for  the 
redemption  and  present  restoration  of  unbelieving, 
sinful,  polluted  mankind  from  under  their  present 
condemnation,  and  for  their  preservation  unto  life 
eternal. 

"And  God  the  Father,  through  Jesus  Christ  the 
Son,  hath  given  a  saving  gift  of  his  divine  Light, 
Spirit,  Grace,  and  Truth,  which  is  one  and  the  same, 
unto  all  mankind;  to  lead,  direct,  and  guide  them,  as 
an  ever-living,  infallible  Teacher  unto  all,  that  who- 
soever shall  believe  therein,  and  repent  of  their  sins, 
and  obey  him  in  his  manifestations  in  their  liearts, 
minds,  and  understandings,  shall  be  surely  led  into 
all  Truth,  and  consequently  out  of  all  untruth  and 
error,  which  must  be  in  this  life,  where  sin,  untruth, 
and  error  only  are.  The  cause  of  such  the  Lord 
Jesus  will  advocate  before  the  Father. 

"And  as  the  knowledge  of  God  and  Christ  is 
eternal  life,  so  the  evidence  of  that  knowledge  is  the 


124  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

keeping  of  his  commandments,  and  the  love  of  the 
brethren.  Whoever  pretendeth  to  that  knowledge, 
and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  and 
Christ,  who  is  the  Truth,  is  not  in  him ;  he  is  a 
reprobate,  and  his  sins  remain  upon  him,  notwith- 
standing the  sufficiency  of  the  propitiation  in  its  own 
nature  and  to  its  general  and  proper  end.  But  who- 
soever keepeth  his  Word,  in  him  is  the  love  of  God 
perfected ;  whereby  such  sanctified  souls  know  not 
only  that  their  sins  are  forgiven  them,  but  that  they 
are  in  him  that  is  true,  in  whom  there  is  no  sin  ;  and 
such  walk  in  the  way  of  faithfulness  and  obedience 
to  the  Father  in  all  things,  even  as  Christ  himself 
walked,  who  never  sinned, — which  sinless  walking 
must  refer  to  the  Christian's  conduct  in  this  world, 
in  order  to  be  settled  at  last  in  the  kingdom  of  glory, 
where  nothing  sinful  or  unclean,  while  so,  can  come. 

"And  this  apostle  clearly  distinguisheth  three 
several  states  and  orders  in  the  universal  church  of 
Christ  at  that  time ;  that  is  to  say,  (  Little  children, 
young  men,  and  fathers/  and  it  hath  ever  been  the 
same,  from  that  day  unto  this,  and  ever  will  be,  to 
the  en*d  of  the  world.  He  writes  first  to  little  chil- 
dren in  Christ,  that  they  should  not  sin ;  for  this 
apostle,  as  all  the  rest,  having  once  been  such,  knew 
the  danger  they  were  in  of  being  enticed  by  the  evil 
one  mysteriously  working  in  their  own  natural  pro- 
pensities, affections,  passions,  and  desires,  even  after 
they  had  known  something  of  the  beginning  of  the 
work  of  Christ,  the  Word  of  God,  in  them ;  and  yet, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


125 


if  such  should  sin,  he,  to  preserve  thern  from  despair- 
ing of  the  mercy  of  God,  through  a  consciousness  of 
sin  and  the  accusations  of  the  evil  one,  remarks  the 
provision  which  is  made  for  their  safety,  saying,  '  If 
any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous/  Their  sins  were  forgiven 
them,  and  they  knew  the  Father. 

"  2dly.  The  apostle  writes  unto  the  young  men  in 
Christ,  not  that  they  should  not  sin,  they  having  at- 
tained a  further  degree  of  growth  and  establishment, 
but  because  they  were  strong  through  the  indwelling 
of  Christ,  the  Word  of  God,  in  them,  and  had  thereby 
overcome  the  wicked  one;  and  there  was  nothing 
then  to  lead  them  into  sin,  but  they  were  preserved 
from  the  sins  and  evils  of  the  world,  through  the 
prayer  and  intercession  of  Christ,  until  they  attained 
a  further  degree  of  knowledge  of  God,  and  in  due 
time  became  fathers. 

"  3dly.  He  wrote  unto  the  fathers  of  the  church, 
not  as  to  children,  that  they  should  not  sin,  nor  as  to 
young  men,  who  were  not  yet  perfect  in  knowledge, 
but  because  they  had  known  him  who  is  from  the 
beginning.  They  were  come  to  the  certain  infallible 
knowledge  of  God  and  Christ,  as  sure  as,  and  more 
so  than,  they  could  know  the  certainty  of  auy  object 
knowable  by  hearing,  seeing,  or  handling  thereof. 
They  knew  Christ,  not  only  as  the  Messiah  sent  of 
the  Father  into  the  world  in  human  nature,  but  as  he 
is  the  Word  of  Life,  manifested  to  them,  and  in 
them  ;  and  that  was  the  message  of  the  apostles  to 
11* 


126 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  church  (the  congregation  of  God)  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  publication  of  the  gospel,  in  order  to 
true  church-fellowship  j  that  as  Christ  is  the  Word 
of  Life  from  the  Father,  so  God  is  light,  and  in  him  is 
no  darkness  at  all.  And  this  message  was  thus 
declared  by  the  apostles  and  messengers  of  Christ  to 
the  universal  church  of  God,  that  they  might  have 
fellowship  with  them  whose  fellowship  was  with  the 
Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  which  plainly 
implies  the  preseuce  of  the  Father  and  Son  divinely 
and  sensibly  in  them,  and  in  every  true  and  living 
member  of  that  holy  and  saved  body,  where  no  sin, 
uncleanness,  or  unrighteousness  can  remain  or  come. 
For  they  who  live  in  sin  live  in  darkness,  and  are 
dead  unto  God  while  they  live  in  the  world ;  and 
when  they  pretend  to  fellowship  with  God  and  Christ 
in  his  church,  they  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth,  but 
continue  in  sin,  and  have  ouly  a  church  and  fellow- 
ship therein  of  their  own  inventing  and  composing, 
and  not  of  the  Lord ;  for  as  the  Father  and  Son  are 
one,  a  divine  and  eternal  light,  in  whom  there  is  no 
darkness,  good  works  are  the  evidence  of  true  faith 
in  him  •  and  even  so,  walking  and  having  conversa- 
tion in  and  through  this  present  world  of  darkness, 
in  and  by  that  light,  is  the  true  and  only  test  of 
fellowship  with  God  and  Christ,  and  the  universal 
church  of  Christ,  wherever  hidden,  dispersed,  or 
visible  in  the  world, — all  the  members  of  this  holy 
Christian  fellowship  having  not  only  all  their  trans- 


THOMAS  STORY. 


127 


gressions  pardoned,  but  are  also  cleansed,  by  the  blood 
and  Spirit  of  Christ,  from  all  sin. 

"Though  I  have  been  long  upon  this  necessary 
and  important  doctrine  of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  let 
your  patience  bear  a  little  longer,  till  I  add  some 
more  texts  out  of  the  same  epistle  of  the  latter  in 
further  confirmation  of  the  same  doctrine,  where  he 
saith,  'Every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  [that 
is,  of  seeing  the  Lord  as  he  is]  purifieth  himself,  even 
as  he  is  pure;  and  in  him  is  no  sin.  Whosoever 
abideth  in  him  sinneth  not;  whosoever  sinneth  hath 
not  seen  him,  neither  known  him.  AVhosoever  is 
born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin;  for  his  seed 
remaineth  in  him,  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is 
born  of  God.'  It  is  therefore  evident  that  as  many 
as  receive  the  Word  of  God,  by  whom  the  world  was 
made,  'to  them  he  gives  power  to  become  the  sons 
of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name, — who 
are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor 
of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God/ 

"  Now,  I  would  have  the  auditory  to  observe  that 
this  epistle  of  John  was  written  chiefly  to  preserve 
the  church  of  God  from  being  seduced  from  the 
teachings  of  Christ,  the  Word  of  life,  of  which  they 
were  born,  by  the*  antichrists  in  those  days,  who  at- 
tempted to  draw  them  therefrom  back  into  the  rites 
of  the  law  of  Moses,  effectually  ended  by  the  coming 
and  manifestation  of  Christ  the  Lord,  as  appears  by 
these  parts  of  the  epistle,  where  it  is  said,  '  Little 
children,  it  is  the  last  time,  [or  dispensation,]  and  as 


128 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


you  have  heard  that  antichrist  shall  come,  even  now 
are  there  many  antichrists ;  whereby  we  know  it  is 
the  last  time.  They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were 
not  of  us ;  for  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would,  no 
doubt,  have  continued  with  us;  but  they  went  out, 
that  they  might  be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not 
all  of  us  j  but  ye  have  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One, 
and  ye  know  all  things.'  f  These  things  have  I 
written  unto  you  concerning  them  that  seduce  you; 
but  the  anointing  which  ye  have  received  of  him 
abideth  in  you,  and  ye  need  not  that  any  man  teach 
you ;  but  as  the  same  anointing  teacheth  you  of  all 
things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no  lie ;  and  even  as  it 
hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in  him.' 

"And  the  successors  of  those  antichrists,  and  their 
supporters,  who  have  from  age  to  age,  even  until  now, 
formed  and  composed  unto  themselves  images  and 
likenesses  of  religion  and  worship  from  mistaken, 
wrested,  and  misapplied  texts  and  portions  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  intermixed  with  many  inventions  and 
imaginations  of  their  own,  and  imposed  their  forgeries, 
by  violence  of  persecution,  upon  the  church  of  Christ 
and  mankind,  are  still,  under  various  names  and 
forms,  the  chief  opposers  that  Christ  and  his  true 
ministers  and  doctrine,  which  in  itself  is  the  same 
now  as  then,  do  meet  with  in  this  generation.  Those 
antichrists  had  once  been  professors  of  Christ,  and 
many  of  them  then  were,  as  to  his  outward  coming  in 
the  flesh,  but  had  gone  out  and  apostatized  from  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  the  holy  anointing  and  divine  light 


THOMAS  STORY. 


129 


of  God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  faithful  therein, 
denying  thereby  the  Lord  who  bought  them,  attempt- 
ing to  draw  the  church  of  God  after  themselves  and 
their  false  teachings,  and  to  establish  the  rites  and 
righteousness  of  the  law  of  Moses,  in  their  own  erro- 
neous sense ;  together  with  their  own  heterodox 
sentiments  concerning  the  faith  of  Christ,  imposed 
by  persecution  and  antichristian  violence.  So  it  is 
now,  by  the  same  spirit,  in  like  mercenary  members, 
who  come  in  their  own  names  and  wills,  and  not  in 
the  name,  will,  and  power  of  the  Lord,  and  seek  and 
propagate  their  own  interest,  honor,  power,  and  glory 
only,  and  not  the  Lord's,  nor  the  good  of  mankind, 
but  to  make  a  prey  and  advantage  of  them  unto 
themselves. 

"  These  things  having  passed  after  this  manner,  I 
drew  to  a  conclusion  thus : — '  That  though  by  nature, 
as  we  are  the  offspring  of  the  first  Adam,  we  have  a 
seed  of  evil  or  sin  in  us.  which  springing  up,  and  we, 
acting  according  to  its  motions,  being  influenced  by 
the  evil  one,  become  guilty  before  God,  yet,  as  we 
receive  and  believe  in  and  unite  with  Christ,  the 
Word  of  God,  the  second  Adam,  the  Lord  from 
heaven,  the  quickening  Spirit,  and  are  witnesses 
of  his  work  in  our  hearts,  we  become  born  of  him, 
that  Seed,  who  never  fell,  or  could  fall,  children  of 
God,  and  heirs  of  his  precious  promises,  partakers 
of  the  divine  nature,  and  have  present  redemption 
from  under  the  power  of  sin  and  Satan/ 

"  During  all  this  time,  which  held  above  an  hour, 


130 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  people  were  very  still,  but  their  minister  was  fret- 
ful, and  interrupted  me  often,  for  he  saw  what  I  said 
took  with  them  j  but  several  of  the  justices  repre- 
hended him  openly  divers  times,  and  he  was  much 
down  and  discouraged. 

•''When  I  had  done,  he  answered  that  'there  is 
not  a  just  man  upon  the  earth  that  doeth  good  and 
sinneth  not/  and  that  1  if  we  say  we  have  no  sin  we 
deceive  ourselves  j'  with  some  such  things  in  favor 
of  sin,  very  short,  and  so  sat  down. 

"  I  replied  that  I  had  already  repeated  one  of 
those  texts  of  Scripture,  and  some  others  to  the  same 
purpose,  (for  I  intended  at  first  to  anticipate  him  in 
what  they  usually  allege  in  favor  of  that  pernicious 
doctrine,  of  sin  term  of  life,)  and  that  whatsoever  was 
written  in  the  law  was  to  them  who  were  under  it. 
It  is  true,  while  men  were  under  that  law  which 
gave  the  knowledge  of  sin,  but  did  not  redeem  from 
it,  all  these  things  were  true  as  to  them.  For  the 
law  made  nothing  perfect ;  but  the  bringing  in  of  a 
better  hope  doth ;  which  hope  is  (  Christ  in  us  the 
hope  of  glory/  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  by  Christ, 
which,  received  and  believed  in,  worketh  in  us  a 
conformity  to  the  will  of  God,  which  the  law  of  Moses 
could  not  do,  as  I  have  already  proved. 

"This  opposer  was  very  angry  at  all  this,  and 
several  times  broke  out  into  opprobrious  language, 
and  false  charges  against  us  as  a  people;  but  several 
of  the  magistrates  reproved  him.  Captain  Basset, 
alleging  still  that  the  apostle  was  in  that  sinful  and 


THOMAS    iTOR  Y. 


131 


wretched  state  when  he  wrote  that  epistle,  undertook 
the  argument,  but  advanced  nothing  new,  only  the 
weakness  of  nature  since  the  fall,  and  how  easily  we 
are  prevailed  upon  to  sin.  Whereupon  I  took  the 
Bible  again,  and  showed  him  iu  the  same  chapter 
that  the  apostle  speaks  only  of  a  state  under  the 
law,  but  was  not  in  that  condition  himself  at  that 
time,  in  these  words : — '  For  when  we  were  in  the  flesh, 
the  motions  of  sin  which  were  by  the  law  did  work 
in  our  members  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto  death ;  but 
now  we  are  delivered  from  the  law,  that  being  dead 
wherein  we  were  held,  that  we  should  serve  in  new- 
ness of  spirit,  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter.' 
Here  it  is  evident  that  the  apostle  speaks  of  two  very 
differing  states, — of  sin,  in  which  they  had  once  been 
whilst  in  the  flesh,  or  carnal  mind,  and  of  freedom 
from  sin  in  the  spirit ;  and  they  could  not  be  in  those 
two  opposite  states  at  the  same  time.  By  the  law  the 
power  of  sin  is  made  manifest,  reproved,  and  con- 
demned in  the  mind  and  understanding;  but  sin  is 
not  thereby,  nor  can  it  by  any  outward  law,  be 
subdued  and  slain,  until  man  believe,  repent,  re- 
ceive, follow,  and  obey  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life, 
which  not  only  reproves  and  condemns  for  sin,  but 
destroys  it. 

u  Now,  that  wherein  we  are  captivated,  and  held 
in  our  first  and  natural  state,  is  our  carnal  mind  ; 
which,  being  '  enmity  against  God/  neither  is  nor  can 
be,  as  such,  subject  unto  his  law ;  but  that  enmity 
being  slain  and  crucified  by  the  cross  of  Christ,  the 


132 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


grace  and  spirit  of  God,  and  the  body  of  sin  de- 
stroyed, that  henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin,  then 
the  reproving  and  condemning  power  of  the  law 
ceaseth  to  work  in  the  soul;  for  they  who  are 
Christ's  ( have  crucified  the  flesh,  with  the  affections 
and  lusts.' 

"And  though  they  who  are  in  the  flesh  cannot 
please  God,  yet  the  apostle,  by  '  the  flesh/  doth  not 
mean  the  natural  body,  but  the  carnal  mind ;  for  he 
saith,  '  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit, 
if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you.  Now, 
if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
of  his.' 

"  By  this  time,  the  Truth  being  in  some  measure 
over  the  people,  they  were  generally  calm  and  silent ; 
and  being  asked  if  they  were  satisfied,  they  made  no 
reply,  only  one  pettish  justice  said  no  j  and  Captain 
Basset,  being  desirous  of  further  dispute,  said  he 
could  not  yet  believe  that  mankind  could  be  freed 
from  sin  in  this  life ;  but  neither  of  them  assigned 
any  foundation  or  cause  for  their  unbelief.  Then 
their  ministers,  taking  fresh  encouragement  from 
them,  blustered  out  several  harsh  and  false  charges 
and  railing  accusations  against  us  as  a  people,  which 
I  took  in  writing,  and  put  him  upon  his  proof,  viz.  : 

"  1st.  That  the  Quakers  hold  lying  and  damnable 
principles. 

"  2dly.  That  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  are  the  ground  of  faith  and  rule  of  life. 
"Both  which  I  denied,  and  nut  him  upon  his 


THOMAS    ST  OB  Y. 


133 


proof,  which  he  uudertook,  and  begaa  thus,  viz.  : — 
I  The  words  of  the  charge  seem  harsh,  but  I  cannot 
help  it :  the  nature  of  the  thing  requires  it,  and  it  is 
not  I  that  bring  the  charge,  but  God,  upon  their  own 
disobedience.  For,  as  it  is  written,  "  he  that  saith,  I 
know  him,  and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a 
liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him."  Xow,  our  blessed 
Lord  hath  commanded,  as  you  will  find  it  written  in 
the  28th  chapter  of  Matthew,  at  the  10th  and  20th 
verses,  u  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  bap- 
tizing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  teaching  them  to  ob- 
serve all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you  : 
and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of 
the  world."  Xow,  these  people  living  in  the  avowed 
neglect  of  this  great  commandment,  and  yet  pretend- 
ing to  know  God,  and  the  way  of  God,  they  are  liars, 
and  the  truth  is  not  in  them :  therefore  all  sober 
Christian  people  ought  to  beware  of  them  and  shun 
them  as  deceivers.' 

'•'To  this  I  answered  that  if  by  this  Scripture  he 
understood  water-baptism,  as  I  apprehended  he  did, 
he  mistook  it  j  for  every  institution  of  Christ  is  plain 
and  explicit,  and  water  not  being  mentioned  there, 
he  must  prove  it,  if  he  could,  some  other  way.  But 
if  it  were  water-baptism,  then  he  himself,  and  all  of 
his  communion,  living  in  neglect  of  this  command- 
ment, (as  he  imagines  it  to  be,)  are  equally  if  not 
more  guilty, — not  being  in  the  practice  of  any  baptism 
ever  instituted  by  Christ,  or  in  use  in  his  church  in 
12 


134 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


the  days  of  his  apostles,  or  for  some  hundreds  of  years 
after,  either  as  to  the  manner,  instrument,  or  subjects 
of  baptism.  For  sprinkling  is  no  baptism,  nor  are 
infants  the  subjects  of  it;  for  the  words  of  the  text 
are,  (  Teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  [or  rather 
into]  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you,'  &c. 

"  The  instrument  of  baptism  here,  according  to 
your  minister,  is  water,  and  the  manner  of  applying 
it,  as  is  well  known,  and  as  the  word  itself  signifies, 
is  by  going  into  the  water  and  washing,  particularly 
the  feet,  therein.  The  subjects  were  not  infants,  but 
such  as  were  capable  not  only  of  being  taught,  or 
made  disciples  and  believers,  but  likewise  of  observing 
and  doing  all  things  which  Christ  had  taught  his 
disciples,  of  which  infants  are  not  capable.  And  if 
Christ  had  commanded  his  disciples  to  baptize  with 
water,  and  they  had  only  sprinkled,  they  had  not 
then  obeyed  him,  but  acted  another  thing  in  their 
own  wills,  and  made  themselves  transgressors.  And 
if  Christ  had  sent  his  disciples  with  such  a  message, 
as  it  is  plain  he  did  not,  what  is  that  to  this  man,  or 
any  such  ?    Who  sent  them  to  do  so  ? 

"  Then  the  priest  replied,  and  said  he  did  not 
sprinkle  infants.  I  answered,  'What  dost  thou,  then? 
Dost  thou  pour  water  on  their  faces  off  thy  hand  ? 
Or  dost  thou  wash  their  faces  with  it  ?  for  it  seems 
thou  dost  not  baptize  them.  If  not,  thou  dost  not 
obey  the  commandment  in  thy  own  sense,  if  it  were 


THOMAS  STORY 


135 


a  command  to  thee.  But  this  is  only  a  low  equivocal 
evasion.' 

"  He  replied,  *  You  have  no  baptism  at  all ;  and 
the  question  is  not  whether  we  are  in  the  right  mode 
of  baptizing,  but  whether  you  do,  or  not,  break 
Christ's  command  in  the  neglect  of  it  in  any  form. 
And  seeing  you  do  neglect  it,  you  are  liars,  and  hold 
lying  principles.' 

"  Then,  directing  my  answer  to  the  people,  I  said, 
^  The  question  on  this  head  is  equally  applicable, 
Who  is  in  the  right,  or  who  is  in  the  wrong?  and 
not  only  whether  you  be  in  the  right  mode  of  water- 
baptism,  but  whether  you  have  any  at  all  j  and  it 
appears,  as  above,  you  have  not;  and  whether  that  be 
water-baptism  in  the  text,  where  water  is  not  men- 
tioned, as  your  minister  hath  suggested,  but  not 
proved,  and  only  begged  the  question,  which  I  have 
not  granted.  And  whether  they  who  neglect  or 
omit  water-baptism  be  liars,  and  hold  lying  prin- 
ciples. As  to  us,  whom  he  thus  accuseth,  we  have, 
through  the  mercy  of  God,  the  true  baptism  here 
commanded,  which  is  that  of  the  Spirit,  of  which 
this  man  is  no  competent  judge,  being  ignorant  of 
that  great  and  saving  work  of  the  baptism  of  the  Son 
of  God.  I  add  one  question  more : — Who  sent  him, 
and  such  as  him,  either  to  baptize  or  sprinkle?  It 
doth  not  appear  that  they  are  sent  of  Christ  j  but  if 
he  hath  sent  them  to  baptize,  and  they  do  not  so,  but 
only  rantize,  then  they  break  his  command  by  their 
own  rule;  and  when  they  say  to  a  child,  "I  baptize 


136 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


thee,"  or  to  others  present,  "  I  baptize  this  child,  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Sou,  and  Holy  Ghost,"  they 
then  lie  in  and  unto  that  great  name  of  the  Holy 
One,  and  before  the  people,  who  are  yet  so  blind  as 
not  to  see  they  are  acting  upon  false  and  lying  prin- 
ciples. 

"  "  The  Lord  gave  a  command  to  his  eleven  apostles 
to  preach  unto,  and  disciple  or  baptize,  all  nations; 
but  what  is  that  to  these  men  now,  who  assume  upon 
themselves  a  bare,  imperfect,  and  mistaken  imitation 
of  it,  in  which  they  send  one  another  with  carnal  and 
corrupt  views,  in  both  the  senders  and  sent,  without 
any  command  from  God,  but  from  men,  who  know 
nothing  of  the  mind  of  God,  nor  at  all  seek  it  therein, 
nor  have  any  power  from  him  in  what  they  do  ?  For 
a  command  of  that  nature  to  the  apostles  is  none  to 
any  one  else,  unless  he  be  likewise  qualified,  endued, 
and  sent  by  the  same  power.  For  if  this  was  water- 
baptism,  as  it  is  evident  it  was  not,  then  it  would 
have  been  a  command  and  sufhcieut  mission  to  the 
Apostle  Paul,  who,  though  not  behind  the  chief  of 
the  other  apostles  as  to  any  gift  or  qualification 
necessary  to  a  gospel  minister,  and  "  labored  more 
than  they  all,"  assures  us  that  "  Christ  sent  him  not 
to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel."  And  as  he 
was  in  a  particular  manner  the  minister  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  messenger  of  the  promise  of  God  unto  them, 
to  "  turn  them  from  darkness  unto  light,  and  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  God,"  none  can  succeed  him  in 
baptizing  with  water  who  had  it  not  by  command 


THOMAS  STORY. 


137 


from  Christ  himself.  And  as  that  great  apostle  could 
not  justly  be  accused  and  stigmatized  as  a  neglecter 
and  breaker  of  the  command  of  Christ  in  that  case, 
or  a  liar  and  holder  of  lying  principles,  when  he 
thanked  God  he  had  not  proceeded  any  further  than 
he  did  in  a  practice  for  which  he  had  no  command 
or  authority,  neither  can  nor  ought  we.  But  being 
in  so  good  company  therein,  and  having  no  command 
from  Christ  to  baptize  or  sprinkle,  or  pour  on  water, 
or  any  way  at  all  to  use  it  herein,  we  cannot  honestly 
be  charged  with  any  neglect  of  it,  nor  be  called  liars 
therefor,  nor  holders  of  lying  principles  j  but  men  of 
truth,  assuming  nothing  to  ourselves  but  what  we 
have  freely  received  from  the  Lord,  the  gift  of  his 
grace,  in  which  we  minister  freely,  without  money  and 
without  price,  and  therefore  all  sober  Christians  ought 
rather  to  receive  us  and  our  Christian  testimony  for 
truth,  and  to  shun  the  mercenary  hirelings  of  the 
times,  of  every  form,  and  beware  of  those  as  deceivers 
who  falsely  accuse  and  calumniate  us ;  for  it  is  written, 
"  He  that  receiveth  you  receiveth  me ;  and  he  that 
receiveth  me  receiveth  him  that  sent  me." 

U(  Though  it  is  not  incumbent  upon  me  to  prove 
that  water-baptism  was  not  commanded  in  that  text, 
but  upon  your  minister,  [to  prove  that  it  was,]  and 
he  hath  not  done  it,  yet,  for  your  sakes,  and  of  my 
friends  present,  I  find  my  mind  engaged  to  endeavor 
to  make  it  manifest  that  it  was  not  water-baptism,  but 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost, — the  first  being  the 
baptism  of  John,  and  the  latter  of  Christ. 

12* 


138 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


"  6  John  the  Baptist  was  sent  of  God  to  preach  re- 
pentance to  the  Jews,  and  to  baptize  them  with  water, 
saying  that  they  should  believe  in  one  to  come  after 
him,  whom  they  did  not  then  know,  but  that  he  was 
among  the  people,  and  ready  to  appear;  that  he 
was  a  baptizer  superior  to  himself,  and  should  baptize 
them  with  a  more  excellent  baptism  j  and  that  was 
Christ.  John  was  the  servant,  and  his  baptism  was 
with  water,  and  was  to  decrease,  and  consequently 
come  to  an  end ;  but  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and 
his  baptism  is  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  divine  sancti- 
fying fire,  and  increaseth  and  remaineth  unto  the  end 
of  the  world ;  and  as  Christ  fulfilled  all  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  of  Moses  in  his  own  person,  so  like- 
wise as  John's  baptism,  in  point  of  time,  came  before 
his,  though  he  needed  no  repentance,  not  having 
sinned,  it  was  iucumbent  upon  him  to  fulfil  the 
righteousness  of  that  dispensation  likewise;  and 
therefore  he  was  baptized  of  John,  as  others  were. 
Thus,  concentring  in  himself  all  the  righteousness 
of  the  typical  dispensations  of  God,  he  became  from 
thenceforth  the  sole  Dispenser  of  righteousness  unto 
all  nations  and  people,  throughout  all  generations, 
unto  the  end  of  the  world,  and  he  himself  is  that 
essential  righteousness  in  his  own  nature.  And 
therefore,  as  soon  as  he  had  fulfilled  all  that  right- 
eousness, he  began  to  be  made  manifest,  and  to  preach 
repentance  to  the  Jews,  as  John  did,  that  being  most 
necessary  to  their  sinful  state,  declaring  the  kiugdom 
of  God  to  be  at  hand  to  that  people  J  for  he  was  not 


THOMAS  STORY. 


139 


sent  at  that  time,  nor  in  that  manner,  to  the  Gentiles  j 
and,  calling  disciples,  he  sent  them  forth  among  the 
Jews,  declaring  him  to  be  the  Messiah,  and  preaching 
in  his  name  the  same  doctrine,  and  baptizing  with 
the  same  baptism,  as  to  the  mode  and  instrument  of 
it,  but  with  this  distinction  as  to  the  application  and 
end  of  it :  John  with  water  unto  repentance,  not  in 
any  name  declared,  but  in  him  who  was  to  come 
after;  but  the  disciples  of  Christ  preached  the  same 
doctrine,  and  baptized  with  the  same  baptism,  but  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  the  true  object  of 
faith,  declaring  him  to  be  the  Messiah,  of  whom 
Moses  and  the  prophets  wrote,  now  already  come  and 
made  manifest,  not  unto  repentance  only,  but  for  the 
remission  of  sins  repented  of,  in  the  name  of  him  who 
was  shortly  to  be  offered  up  unto  God,  a  propitiation 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 

"  'And  it  is  said  that  Jesus  made  and  baptized  more 
disciples  than  John,  }Tet  he  did  not  baptize  any  in  his 
own  person  :  that  was  below  the  dispensation  John 
had  ascribed  unto  him,  which  is  a  dispensation  of 
eternal  substance  of  light,  life,  virtue,  and  power,  and 
not  of  shadows  or  symbols. 

" '  The  apostles  and  disciples  of  Christ  being  thus  in 
the  practice  of  water-baptism,  and  other  services  of 
that  day,  the  Lord,  when  they  were  able  to  bear  it, 
plainly  told  them  who  he  was, — that  is,  the  Way,  the 
Truth,  and  the  Life, — and  foretold  them  of  his  suffer- 
ing a  little  before  it  came  to  pass  -}  of  his  departure 
from  them ;  that  he  must  go  away  as  to  his  bodily 


140 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


presence,  but  should  come  again  in  Spirit,  by  which 
he  should  be  in  them  as  their  Comforter;  and  this 
promise  he  made  in  the  Father's  name,  which  was  to 
come  to  pass  as  the  effect  of  his  own  prayer  and 
intercession. 

"'And,  accordingly,  after  he  had  suffered,  and 
finished  his  testimony  on  earth,  and  was  risen  from 
the  dead,  he  appeared  to  his  disciples  and  gave  them 
several  infallible  proofs  of  it.  And  the  apostles  being 
present  with  him  in  a  place  appointed  a  little  before 
he  ascended  into  heaven,  he  said  unto  them,  "  All 
power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins  must  be  preached  in 
my  name  unto  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem ; 
and  ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me,  both  in  J erusalem, 
and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  utter- 
most part  of  the  earth. "  "Go  ye,  therefore,  teach  all 
nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you."  "And  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world."  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  :  he  that  believeth, 
and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."  "  And  behold,  I  send  the 
promise  of  my  Father  upon  you.  But  tarry  ye  in 
the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  ye  be  endued  with  power 
from  on  high."  "  But  ye  shall  receive  power  after 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you."  "  For  John 


THOMAS    S  T  O  R  Y. 


141 


truly  baptized  with  water;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence." 

u  '  Here  their  mission  and  work  were  greatly  en- 
larged :  before,  they,  as  well  as  himself,  were  con- 
fined to  the  Jews  only,  until  he  had  finished  his  tes- 
timony unto  them  on  earth;  but  now  they  are  sent 
to  all  nations  under  heaven.  They  had  been  before 
baptized  with  John's  water-baptism,  and  they  had 
baptized  many  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  without  any 
other  power  from  on  high,  with  the  same  baptism ; 
but  now  they  themselves  were  to  be  baptized  with  a 
more  excellent  baptism,  foretold  by  John, — the  bap- 
tism of  Christ,  which  was  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  a 
divine,  holy,  soul-cleansing  fire ;  and  then,  and  not 
before,  they  were  to  go  out  in  that  glorious,  wonder- 
ful, and  powerful  name.  For  after  the  Lord  had 
given  them  this  command,  to  go  and  teach  all 
nations,  baptizing  them,  &c,  he  restrained  them  by 
a  subsequent  order  from  going  by  virtue  of  that  com- 
mand only,  until  they  were  actually  endued  with 
power  from  the  Father,  saying,  u  But  ye  shall  receive 
power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  37ou; 
for  John  truly  baptized  with  water;  but  ye  shall  be 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence. " 
It  is  clear  that  the  Lord  Christ  spake  all  these  things 
at  the  same  time  to  his  apostles,  with  plain  connec- 
tion, very  intelligible  to  any  unprejudiced  under- 
standing, fhough  they  are  dispersed  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  some  part  recorded  by  one  Evangelist  and  some 
by  another,  and  not  entirely  by  any  one  of  them.  He 


142 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


distinguished  between  the  baptism  of  John  with 
water,  then  in  practice  and  shortly  to  be  superseded 
and  cease  in  point  of  obligation,  and  the  baptism  of 
Christ  himself  by  the  Spirit,  which,  as  it  is  the  gospel 
baptism  and  dispensation,  was  not  then  commenced, 
nor  could  be,  until  Christ  ascended  and  was  glorified 
with  the  same  glory  that  he  had  with  the  Father 
before  the  world  was  made.  The  Lord  Christ  doth 
not  mention,  in  all  this,  any  other  water-baptism  but 
that  of  John,  in  distinction  to  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  which  he  establisheth  alone,  as  his  permanent, 
necessary,  and  saving  baptism  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Nor  is  it  at  all  probable  that  Christ  would  institute 
water-baptism,  which  they  were  already  in  the  prac- 
tice of,  by  his  own  authority  and  countenance,  that 
bad  its  time  and  use  already,  and  not  so  much  as 
name  water  in  the  words  of  the  institution,  but  by 
way  of  contradistinction  and  precaution,  lest  they 
should  so  far  mistake  in  so  great  and  necessary  a 
point  as  to  think  he  instituted  another  water-bap- 
tism. And  though  they  were  apostles  of  Christ,  and 
had  received  some  degree  of  the  Spirit,  and  were 
thereby  sanctified,  so  far  as  to  be  fitted  for  the  ser- 
vices to  which  they  had  been  hitherto  called,  yet  they 
were  not  at  this  time  so  thoroughly  converted,  or 
their  understandings  so  far  opened,  as  to  know  either 
the  nature  of  this  baptism  or  the  extent  of  their 
commission  therein.  For  worldly  views  had  prepos- 
sessed their  minds  and  misguided  their  judgments 
for  the  present,  until  the  Holy  Ghost  came  and  was 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


143 


manifested  in  them,  by  his  own  divine  and  powerful 
influence  and  work  ;  for  to  all  that  Christ  said  to 
them  on  that  subject  they  answered  like  men  deeply 
prepossessed  with  views  and  sentiments  of  Christ  and 
his  kingdom,  quite  contrary  to  the  nature  of  it  and 
the  Truth, — after  a  carnal  manner  saying,  "Lord, 
wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  of 
Israel ?" 

u  '  It  is  not  to  be  admired,  therefore,  that  none  of 
them  understood  Christ,  either  as  to  the  nature  or 
extent  of  their  mission,  at  that  time,  until  Peter  was 
sent  to  the  house  of  Cornelius,  who  was  a  Gentile, 
— which  was  about  eight  years  after  this  command. 
Till  then,  notwithstanding  the  plain,  intelligible  words 
of  Christ,  they  still  thought  salvation  was  confined 
unto  themselves,  the  Jews  only,  until  Christ  himself 
demonstrated  the  contrary  by  matter  of  fact,  in  bap- 
tizing Cornelius  and  his  household  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  by  the  ministry  of  Peter;  and  then  his  under- 
standing was  opened  and  enlarged,  and  the  rest  like- 
wise, who  had  yet  remained  ignorant,  were,  by  his 
relation  of  the  circumstances  of  the  whole  matter, 
convinced,  both  as  to  the  nature  and  extent  of  their 
commission,  that  it  is  a  spiritual  baptism  and  dispen- 
sation, wherein  salvation  is  offered,  through  Christ, 
unto  all  nations  and  ages,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

" '  But  though  the  Spirit  of  Christ  leadeth  those 
who  believe  and  follow  him  into  all  Truth,  yet  not  all 
at  once,  but  as  we  poor,  low,  weak  mortals  are  made 
able  to  bear,  from  one  degree  of  convincement,  illu- 


BRIEF    MEMOIR    0  F 


initiation,  sanctification,  understanding,  experience, 
and  knowledge,  to  another,  under  the  conduct  of  the 
Spirit,  until  we  arrive  at  as  great  perfection  as  our 
nature  is  capable  of  in  this  present  world,  which  is 
no  small  degree,  in  order  to  be  completely  fitted  for  a 
far  greater  glory,  and  full  establishment,  in  a  more 
excellent  world  to  come,  in  life  everlasting/ 

"  The  priest  gave  many  unmannerly  interruptions 
during  this  time,  but  was  sometimes  reproved  by  the 
justices,  especially  by  Captain  Basset,  who  had  great 
sway,  though  one  of  the  youngest  men  among  them, 
but  of  good  temper  and  understanding.  His  reasons 
for  interrupting  me,  he  said,  were  these: — ' That  if 
he  did  not  answer  things  as  they  were  moved,  he 
would  forget  great  part  of  them,  and  so  they  might 
pass  unanswered  and  take  with  the  people.'  How- 
ever, I  came  at  length  to  inform  the  people  how  this 
error  of  sprinkling  came  to  take  place  in  New  Eng- 
land, viz.,  'by  the  coming  over  of  some  of  the 
ancient  Puritans,  Independents,  and  Presbyterians 
into  that  country,  not  then  in  that  point  fully  re- 
formed from  the  church  of  Rome,  the  original  main- 
tainer  of  that  pernicious  error,  by  whom  it  was  con- 
tinued. And,  seeing  sprinkling  is  no  baptism,  you 
have  none  at  all,  but  an  old  invention  and  relic  of  the 
church  of  Ptome.  Wherefore  I  exhort  you  to  believe 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  that  you 
may  be  baptized  of  him,  and  saved,  since  he  himself 
hafh  said,  as  on  holy  record,  "  He  that  believeth  and 


T  HOMAS    S  T  0  11  Y. 


145 


is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  behcveth  not 
shall  be  damned. "  ' 

"  The  priest  stormed  much  at  this,  saying  to  a 
Friend,  as  I  was  speaking,  '  See  how  smooth  he  goes 
and  makes  all  look  as  even  as  he  pleases :  let  him 
alone,  and  the  people  will  take  all  this  for  granted 
and  then  arose  violently  from  his  seat  and  interrupted 
me,  so  that  I  could  not  finish  that  part  as  I  intended. 
And  yet  I  thought  much  of  what  I  had  said  remained 
with  the  more  intelligent  sort  of  the  people. 

"  To  all  this  my  opponent  made  no  reply,  but  began 
to  maintain  his  charge  as  well  as  he  could,  '  that  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  are  the 
ground  of  faith  and  rule  of  life.'  He  attempted  first 
to  prove  that  the  Scriptures  are  the  Word  of  God, 
and  that  as  such  they  are  the  ground  of  faith  and  rule 
of  life,  thus  : — '  Christ,  reproving  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  concerning  their  traditions,  told  them 
"they  had  made  the  Word  of  God  of  none  effect 
thereby;"  and  seeing  he  here  expressly  calls  the 
Scriptures  the  Word  of  God,  consequently  they  must 
be  the  ground  of  faith  and  rule  of  life.' 

"To  which  I  answered,  1  That  the  particular  sub- 
ject there  treated  of  is  the  fifth  commandment,  not 
the  Scriptures,  where  the  Lord  Christ  chargeth  them 
with  laying  aside  the  commandment  of  God  and 
giving  contrary  commandments  of  their  own,  reject- 
ing the  commandment  of  God,  that  they  might  keep 
their  own  tradition.  So  that  what  is  called  the  Word 
of  God  in  the  loth  verse  of  that  chapter  is  the  fiftjj 


146 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


commandment,  and  not  the  Scriptures.  And  the 
Evangelist  Matthew,  writing  of  the  same  passage,  calls 
it  the  commandment  all  along  throughout  the  chap- 
ter, and  never  calls  it  the  Word  of  God;  nor  doth 
the  Scripture  anywhere  call  itself  the  Word  of  God, 
but  gives  that  title  justly  and  properly  to  Christ,  in 
his  spiritual  appearance,  both  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament;  first  in  the  Old,  where  it  is  written,  "For 
this  commandment,  which  I  command  thee  this  day, 
it  is  not  hidden  from- thee,  neither  is  it  far  off,  &c, 
but  the  Word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth, 
and  in  thy  heart,  that  thou  mayest  do  it." 

"'This  was  not  any  of  the  ten  commandments 
written  on  tables  of  stone,  though  indeed  the  root  of 
all  the  commandments  of  God,  nor  was  there  much 
of  the  Scripture  then  written ;  but  this  was  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  before  his  incarnation,  of  whom  Peter  tes- 
tifies that  he  was  in  the  prophets,  and  testified 
beforehand  his  sufferings,  in  the  flesh,  and  that  many 
hundred  years  before  his  manifestation  therein,  and 
the  glory  that  should  follow ;  of  whom  the  Apostle 
Paul  likewise  bears  testimony,  in  these  words  : — "  The 
righteousness  which  is  of  faith  speaketh  on  this  wise : 
Say  not  in  thine  heart,  Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  ? 
[that  is,  to  bring  Christ  down  from  above,]  or,  Who 
shall  descend  into  the  deep  ?  [that  is,  to  bring  up 
Christ  again  from  the  dead  :]  but  what  saith  it  ?  The 
Word  is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy  mouth,  and  in  thy 
heart;  that  is  the  Word  of  faith  which  we  preach." 
And  the  word  "  we,"  in  this  place,  shows  that  it  was 


THOMAS    S  T  O  It  Y. 


147 


not  the  testimony  of  that  apostle  only,  but  likewise 
of  all  the  rest  of  the  apostles  and  ministers  of  Christ 
in  that  day,  that  Christ  himself  is  the  only  Word  of 
the  Father,  and  there  is  not  another. 

"  'Again,  the  Evangelist  John  testifies  of  Christ 
after  this  manner : — "  In  the  beginning  was  the  "Word, 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God. 
All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him  was 
not  any  thing  made  that  was  made.  He  was  in  the 
world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  the  world 
knew  him  not.  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and 
dwelt  among  us,"  &c.  Now,  these  things  cannot  be 
truly,  or  with  any  sense,  said  of  the  Scriptures;  for 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  not  the  Scriptures,  though  they 
testify  of  him.  The  Scriptures  never  ascended  into 
heaven,  neither  did  they  descend  into  the  deep  and 
rise  again  j  neither  are  the  Scriptures  the  Word  of 
faith  j  neither  were  they  in  the  beginning,  nor  are 
they  God,  nor  was  any  thing  at  all  made  by  them. 
But  all  things  were  made  some  thousands  of  years 
before  there  were  any  Scriptures  in  the  world,  which 
was  not  (any  now  extant)  until  the  days  of  Moses, 
who  wrote  but  a  small  part  of  them.  Nor  does  the 
world  now  know  God,  or  the  Word  of  God,  by  the 
Scriptures;  nor  were  they  ever  made  flesh.  They 
are  not,  therefore,  the  Word  of  God,  and  consequently 
not  that  rule,  by  your  minister's  own  way  of  reason- 
ing;  but,  as  the  Apostle  Peter  testifies,  "That  no 
prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any  private  interpre- 
tation ;  for  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the 


148 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


will  of  man  ;  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

"'And  concerning  those  Scriptures  which  Peter 
speaks  of,  the  Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament  not 
being  then  written,  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  the  Jews, 
who  had  them,  though  they  did  not  understand  them 
or  know  him  by  them,  "  Ye  have  not  his  [the 
Father's]  word  abiding  in  you;  for  whom  he  hath 
sent,  him  ye  believe  not.  Search  the  Scriptures  \  for 
in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life ;  and  they  are 
they  which  testify  of  me ;  and  ye  will  not  come  to 
me  that  ye  may  have  life."  Here  Christ,  the  Word 
of  God,  is  again  distinguished  from  the  Scriptures: 
they  are  not  that  Word,  but  bear  testimony  of  him ; 
and  so  do  the  Scriptures  of  both  Testaments  still,  and 
will  through  ages  to  come.  But  I  beseech  you  to 
beware  lest,  while  you  seem  to  magnify  the  Scrip- 
tures, as  the  Jews  did,  you  likewise  fall  into  the  like 
errors,  and  they  become  of  none  effect  also  unto  you, 
through  your  own  vain  inventions  and  traditions,  and 
fall  short  of  eternal  life,  as  they  did,  through  a  wilful 
neglect  of  the  manifestations,  admonitions,  and  opera- 
tions of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Word  of  God,  in 
your  own  hearts, — the  grace  of  God  given  unto  you, 
in  you,  as  a  fre«  and  constant  teacher  in  the  way  of 
truth  and  salvation  j  and  lest  you  be  found  of  the 
number  of  those  at  last  of  whom  it  is  prophesied,  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  "  The  time  will  come  when  they 
will  not  endure  sound  doctrine,  but  after  their  own 
lusts  shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having 


THOMAS    S  T  0  H  Y. 


1-49 


itchiug  ears;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their  ears 
from  the  truth,  and  shall  be  turned  unto  fables. " ' 

u  Then  I  said  to  the  people,  '  I  was  willing  to  carry 
the  subject  and  argument  this  length  for  your  infor- 
mation, because  I  fully  desire  the  welfare  and  salva- 
tion of  every  one  of  you ;  but  your  teacher  unaware 
gave  up  his  own  cause  in  his  own  way  of  reasoning. 
For,  upon  a  wrong  supposition  that  the  Scripture  is 
the  Word  of  God,  he  grounded  his  position,  that  it 
is  the  ground  of  faith  and  rule  of  life  ;  whereas  the 
Scripture  itself  saith,  <k  Faith  is  the  gift  of  God,"  and 
consequently  not  acquired  by  reading  or  hearing  the 
Scriptures,  which  the  Jews  had,  and  highly  esteemed, 
as  much  as  you  can  do,  and  yet  did.  not  believe  in 
Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

"'I  shall  now  invert  this  assertion,  and  establish 
the  point  contrary  to  his  doctrine,  in  a  few  words,  and 
say  that  what,  or  whoever,  is  the  Word  of  God,  the 
same  is  the  ground  of  faith  and  rule  of  life.  But 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  aud  not  the  Scriptures,  is  the 
Word  of  God,  in  whom  dwells  all  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead  substantially.  He  is  the  wisdom  aud  power 
of  the  Father,  and  therefore  is  the  ground  of  faith, 
the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God  by  him,  and  the 
rule  and  ruler  of  that  life  of  which  himself  is  the 
author  and  giver.' 

"  Then  I  informed  the  people  that  we  ever  had 
a  great  esteem  for  the  Scriptures,  believing  them  to 
be  given  by  divine  inspiration,  (the  priest  having,  in 
our  discourse,  urged  that  passage  where  it  is  said. 
13* 


150 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


'The  Scripture  is  able  to  make  you  wise  unto  salva- 
tion/ leaving  out.  '  through  faith  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus/  which  is  the  main  point,)  but  they  make  wise 
unto  salvation  only  through  faith  in  Christ,  so  that 
faith  must  go  before;  and  the  apostles  believed  before 
their  understandings  were  opened  to  know  the  Scrip- 
tures." 

At  this  period  the  Indians  were  extremely  hostile 
to  the  whites,  who  were  greatly  alarmed,  and  our 
Friend,  on  reaching  Salisbury,  (where  several  persons 
had  recently  been  killed,)  found  that  most  of  the 
people  in  the  neighborhood  had  brought  their  families 
into  the  town,  to  be  under  the  protection  of  the  gar- 
rison. He,  however,  trusting  in  divine  protection 
rather  than  in  man,  felt  it  his  duty  to  lodge  at  the 
house  of  one  Henry  Dow,  which  was  situated  in  a 
position  of  great  apparent  danger,  being  close  to  the 
forest  and  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  fort. 
Henry  Dow's  mother-in-law,  who  resided  in  the  house 
with  them,  alarmed  at  the  remoteness  of  their  situa- 
tion, had  frequently  urged  them  to  remove  into  the 
town  where  the  garrison  was,  for  greater  safety ;  but 
her  daughter,  trusting  in  the  divine  protection,  could 
not  for  a  long  time  consent  to  this,  fearing  that,  if 
they  should  give  way  to  distrust  and  fear,  some  evil 
woulfl  certainly  overtake  them.  Finally,  overpersuaded 
by  her  mother,  she  yielded,  and  removed  to  the  town, 
where  she  was  in  constant  fear  of  Indians,  which  at 
home  she  had  been  entirely  free  from  ;  and,  what  was 
most  remarkable,  the  mother,  having  left  some  small 


THOMAS  STORY. 


151 


matters  at  the  house  near  the  forest,  returned  there 
to  bring  them  thence,  and  was  killed  by  some  Indians 
who  were  lying  in  ambush  near  the  town  j  and  on 
the  same  day  two  young  Friends  going  to  their  work 
near  the  town,  one  of  them  carrying  a  gun,  and  the 
other  unarmed,  were  attacked,  and  he  that  carried 
the  gun  was  killed,  while  the  other  was  unmolested. 
These  instances,  like,  many  similar  ones  related  by 
our  early  Frieuds,  go  clearly  to  prove  that  if  men  are 
faithful  and  sincerely  give  up  themselves  and  all  that 
they  have  to  the  divine  keeping,  they  need  not  in 
any  case  resort  to  arms,  even  in  self-defence,  but  are 
safe  and  fearless  in  the  midst  of  danger. 

Thomas  Story  was  much  concerned  during  this  state 
of  affairs  about  the  appointing  of  meetings  at  distant 
places  in  the  woods,  lest  any  should  be  slain  whilst 
going  to  attend  them,  and  fearful  that  blame  might  be 
cast  upon  himself  as  accessory  to  it,  and  on  the  cause 
of  Truth ;  but,  waiting  on  the  Lord,  the  way  was  made 
clear  before  him,  and  all  fear  and  doubt  vanished,  so 
that  he  was  encouraged  to  go  straight  forward  in  his 
work.  Among  other  discourses  which  he  has  pre- 
served in  his  journal  of  this  visit  to  New  England  is 
a  reply  to  a  certain  Baptist  who  pleaded  to  him  the 
necessity  of  the  temporal  sword  in  general,  and  of  its 
use  being  allowable  even  under  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion, on  the  ground  of  its  being  unavoidable  for  the 
restraint  of  robbers,  murderers,  and  such  criminals 
who  resisted  the  civil  authority,  and  also  for  the 
defence  of  nations  unjustly  invaded.    Though  this 


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plea  is  a  strong  one,  we  think  Thomas  Story  has  fully 
defended  the  views  of  the  society  of  Friends  on  that 
subject  in  the  following  remarks  : — 

"  To  this  I  answered,  '  That  the  sword  there  men- 
tioned is  not,  as  I  apprehend,  the  sword  of  destruc- 
tion, nation  against  nation,  nor  the  necessity  of  the 
use  of  such  a  sword  in  the  civil  state,  but  rather  the 
sword  of  civil  justice  in  execution  of  civil,  temporal, 
and  righteous  laws,  whereby  the  civil  magistrate  is, 
or  ought  to  be,  "  a  terror  to  the  evil-doer,"  and  a  safe- 
guard "and  praise  to  them  that  do  well." 

"  He  replied,  <  That  if  force  by  arms  were  not  to  be 
used  in  apprehending  thieves,  robbers,  and  the  like, 
they  would  not  submit  to  be  apprehended  and 
brought  to  justice,  but  go  on  by  force  to  do  those 
mischiefs.7 

"  To  this  I  replied,  {  That,  magistracy  being  God's 
ordinance  to  that  and  other  good  and  salutary  ends, 
the  countenance  of  God  is  with  the  civil  officer  in  his 
just  prosecution  and  execution  of  his  office ;  and  the 
Almighty,  having  power  over  all  spirits,  for  the  most 
part  strikes  a  terror  into  evil-doers  when  they  are 
discovered  and  accused,  so  that  it  is  very  rare  that 
any  such  resist  the  powers  by  force,  but  by  stealth 
only.  However,  force  may  be  allowed  in  this  case,  in 
the  hand  of  a  proper  officer,  whose  business  and  duty 
it  is  to  apprehend  and  bring  to  justice  furious  and 
incorrigible  transgressors  of  the  righteous  laws  and 
ordinances  of  men  for  the  just  rule  of  countries  and 
nations.    But  here  I  must  distinguish  between  the 


THOMAS  STORY. 


153 


kingdom  of  Christ  and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  in 
order  to  bring  this  matter  to  a  right  understanding 
and  period.  The  Lord,  by  several  of  his  prophets, 
hath  foretold  that  "  he  shall  judge  among  many  people, 
and  rebuke  strong  nations  afar  oif;  and  they  shall 
beat  their  swords  into  ploughshares,  and  their  spears 
into  pruning-hooks  :  nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword 
against  nation,  neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more." 
This  is  to  come  to  pass  under  the  new  covenant,  of 
which  Christ  the  Son  of  God  is  Mediator,  whose  doc- 
trine tends  to  the  fulfilling  of  it  in  all  who  believe 
and  obey  the  gospel.  For  he  saith,  u  Ye  have  heard 
that  it  hath  been  said,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor 
and  hate  thine  enemy;  but  I  say  unto  you,  Love 
your  enemies,  bless  them  that  curse  you,  and  do  good 
to  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  who  despite- 
fully  use  you  and  persecute  you;"  and  that  we  should 
not  be  angry  without  a  cause,  nor  lust.'  He  preached 
perfection,  which  being  accomplished  in  the  heart  by 
the  holy  powerful  spirit  of  him  who  preached  this  doc- 
trine, all  lust  is  taken  away  and  destroyed,  whether 
it  be  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  of  vain- 
glory, of  power,  domination,  self-exaltation,  covetous- 
ness,  the  lust  of  envy,  revenge,  pre-eminence,  and 
the  like,  which  are  the  ground  and  cause  of  wars  and 
fightings  among  carnal  men,  as  saith  the  Apostle 
James  : — "  From  whence  come  wars  and  fightings 
among  you  ?  Come  they  not  from  hence,  even  from 
your  lusts  that  war  in  your  members?  Ye  lust  and 
have  not;  ye  kill  and  desire  to  have,  and  cannot 


154 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


obtain ;  ye  fight  and  war,  yet  ye  have  not,  because 
ye  ask  not.  Ye  ask  and  receive  not,  because  ye  ask 
amiss,  that  ye  may  consume  it  upon  your  lusts  :  ye 
adulterers  and  adulteresses,  know  ye  not  that  the 
friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God?"  Xow, 
though  the  kings  and  kingdoms  of  this  world  maybe 
at  war,  and  do  and  will  make  war  one  against  another 
for  a  time,  until  the  kingdom  of  Christ  shall  prevail 
over  all,  yet  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this 
world,  as  he  said  unto  Pilate  : — "  If  my  kingdom  were 
of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight,  that  I 
should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews ;  but  now  is  my 
kingdom  not  from  hence."  ' 

u.  To  this  he  answered,  i  It  was  only  at  that 
time  that  they  would  not  fight  ;  for  if  they  had  fought 
he  had  not  been  delivered  to  the  Jews  to  be  crucified, 
and  so  his  death  and  all  the  advantages  of  it  to  man- 
kind hindered;  but  upon  any  other  just  occasion 
they  might,  and  still  may,  fight/ 

"  To  this  I  replied,  i  That  this  interpretation,  or 
rather  perversion,  of  the  Scripture  would  destroy  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  nature,  infancy,  and  end  of 
it, — denying  Christ  to  have  a  kingdom  on  earth,  but 
only  during  his  bodily  presence  with  his  disciples, — 
and  would  obstruct  the  way  for  accomplishing  the 
prophecies  of  the  prophets  before  mentioned,  and 
oppose  the  whole  tenor  and  end  of  the  gospel.  For 
the  proclamation  of  the  celestial  harbingers  of  the 
Prince  of  peace,  in  notifying  the  birth  of  the  first-born 
into  the  world,  for  the  salvation,  not  destruction,  of 


THOMAS    S  T  0  It  Y. 


155 


tire  lives  of  mankind,  was  after  this  manner  : — "Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 
towards  men."  And  as  he  was  sent  into  the  world 
in  the  love  of  the  Father,  so  the  whole  tenor  of  his 
doctrine  and  example  of  life  was  for  peace  and  love; 
and  in  that  love,  and  the  power  and  divine  virtue  of 
it,  he  yielded  up  his  life  and  body  on  the  cross,  an 
adequate  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world, 
and  to  declare  the  mercy  of  God  to  all  mankind. 
And  it  is  evident  that  the  Jews  crucified  Christ  in 
defence  and  support  of  this  same  political  principle 
and  doctrine  of  self-defence  by  war  and  fighting,  for 
the  preservation  of  their  state  against  the  Romans, 
though  their  policy  proved  their  utter  ruin  in  the 
sequel.  For,  said  they,  after  Christ  had  raised 
Lazarus  from  the  dead,  "What  do  we?  For  this 
man  doth  many  miracles  :  if  we  let  him  thus  alone, 
all  men  will  believe  on  him,  and  the  Romans  shall 
come  and  take  away  both  our  place  and  nation." 
This  plainly  demonstrates  that  the  disciples  and  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  were  not  of  fighting-principles,  but 
otherwise  taught  by  him  to  love  even  their  enemies ; 
and  his  whole  doctrine  tended  to  mercy,  peace,  truth, 
and  love.  And  the  apostle  saith  concerning  the 
members  and  subjects  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in 
this  world,  "  For,  though  we  walk  in  the  flesh,  we  do 
not  war  after  the  flesh  ;  for  the  weapons  of  our  war- 
fare are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through  God,  to  the 
pulling  down  of  strongholds,  casting  down  imagina- 
tions, [or  reasonings,]  and  every  high  thing  which 


156 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience 
of  Christ." 

"  'Again  :  "  Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong  in  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might  j  put  on  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  wiles  of  the  devil;  for  we  wrestle  not 
against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities, 
against  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of 
this  world,  against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places  : 
wherefore  take  unto  you  the  whole  armor  of  God, 
that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day, 
and,  having  done  [or  overcome]  all,  to  stand.  Stand, 
therefore,  having  your  loins  girt  about  with  truth, 
and  having  on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  and 
your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of 
peace;  above  all,  taking  the  shield  of  faith,  where- 
with ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of 
the  wicked ;  and  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God  \ 
praying  always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in 
the  Spirit,  and  watching  thereunto  with  all  perseve- 
rance, and  supplication  for  all  saints." 

"  'As  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this  world,  he 
governs  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  in  such  as  are  not  of  this 
world,  but  are  given  him  out  of  the  world, — over 
whom,  in  all  ages,  he  hath  ruled  in  righteousness, 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  shall  yet 
reign,  till  by  degrees  the  "kingdoms  of  this  world 
shall  all  become  the  kimrdoms  of  our  God  and  his 


THOMAS  STORY. 


157 


Christ."  Then  shall  be  an  end  of  all  rule  and  do- 
minion but  that  of  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus,  who 
shall  be  all  in  all  among  the  children  of  men. 
But  until  this  be  finished  by  degrees,  as  it  is  now 
begun  and  proceeds,  the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth 
is,  and  shall  be,  as  at  the  first,  a  holy  nation,  a  royal 
priesthood,  a  peculiar  people,  zealous,  not  to  fight 
and  destroy,  or  to  meddle  with  the  kingdoms  or  rule 
of  the  world,  but  of  good  works,  against  whom  there 
is  no  law  founded  upon  righteousness  and  truth.  But 
until  this  be  accomplished,  nation  will  lift  up  sword 
against  nation,  and  they  will  learn  and  exercise  war; 
but  as  to  us,  we,  through  the  mercy  and  goodness  of 
God,  are  of  those  in  whom  this  prophecy  is  begun  to 
be  fulfilled,  and  we  can  learn  war  no  more.  For  as 
a  nation  shall  not  be  born  in  one  day,  so  this  prophecy 
shall  not  be  fulfilled  in  one  generation,  but  in  several, 
but,  being  fulfilled,  shall  not  fail  any  more  forever. 
As  for  you,  who  are  yet  in  wars  and  fightings,  how 
are  ye  his  subjects,  or  members  of  his  holy  nation, 
his  royal  priesthood,  or  peculiar  people  ?  Or  how 
can  you  be,  until  you  obey  his  doctrine,  to  love  God 
above  all,  to  love  one  another  in  him,  to  love  your 
enemies,  do  good  unto  them  who  hate  you,  and  pray 
for  them  who  despitefully  use  and  persecute  you  ? 

"  '  We,  who  do  not  fight  with  carnal  weapons,  meddle 
not  with  you  who  do,  otherwise  than  to  persuade  you 
to  leave  that  off  and  be  enlisted  under  the  saving 
banner  of  the  Prince  of  peace;  to  believe  in  the 
divine  light  of  the  Son  of  God;  to  come  out  of  the 
14 


158 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OP 


spirit  of  this  world,  in  which  is  all  trouble,  into  the 
Spirit  and  kingdom  of  Christ,  in  whom  there  is  per- 
fect peace.  If  ye  will  not  do  this,  we  must  leave  you 
to  fight  one  with  another,  until  you  are  weary,  and 
have  the  recompense  of  it,  one  by  another,  in  the 
natural  consequences  of  that  destructive  evil ;  with 
this  caution  of  the  apostle,  nevertheless,  "  That  if  you 
bite  and  devour  one  another,  take  heed  lest  ye  be 
destroyed  one  by  another."  I  desire  you  to  leave  us 
to  the  Lord,  to  serve  him  unto  whom  we  belong,  and 
fight  in  his  name,  under  his  banner,  against  the 
enemy  of  our  souls,  against  whom  we  find  warring 
sufficient,  and  fighting  enough  daily,  though  we  war 
not  among  you  to  destruction,  nor  one  with  another 
to  the  breach  of  peace." 

We  find  nothing  further  occurring  on  this  journey 
proper  for  our  purpose  in  these  sketches.  Our  Friend 
again  reached  Philadelphia  in  safety,  in  the  7th 
month,  1704,  and  remained  there,  occupied  in  the 
affairs  incident  to  his  offices,  until  2d  month,  1705, 
when  we  find  him  setting  forth  on  a  journey  to  the 
Southern  colonies. 

At  a  stated  meeting  in  Virginia,  where  he  had  been 
challenged  to  a  dispute  on  various  topics  by  the 
clergyman  of  the  district,  he  was  led  into  the  follow- 
ing beautiful  analysis  of  the  Lord's  prayer : — 

"  The  introduction,  or  address,  of  that  prayer  of 
prayers,  is  to  the  Almighty,  as  he  is  the  Father  of 
all, — with  acknowledgment  that  his  habitation  is  in 
heaven,  above  all.    And  the  first  petition  is,  that  his 


THOMAS  STORY. 


159 


name,  or  by  what  word  soever  the  Divine  Being- 
is  meant,  expressed,  or  designed,  may  be  mentioned 
with  reverence  and  awe,  as  the  most  holy  thing-,  and 
not  blasphemed,  lightly  used,  profaned,  or  taken  in 
vain.  And  the  second  petition  is,  that  his  kingdom, 
rule,  dominion,  and  government  may  come,  be  made 
manifest  and  established  over  all  the  earth  and  every 
soul  therein,  throughout  all  generations,  as  explained 
by  the  next  words  therein,  that  is  to  say,  '  Thy  will 
be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven,'  which  implies 
the  highest  degree  of  perfection  and  exaltation  human 
nature  is  capable  of  in  this  life.  For,  if  the  will  or 
law  of  God  is  to  be  done  in  earth  as  in  heaven,  then 
there  can  be  no  more  possibility  of  sin,  unrighteous- 
ness, or  evil  among  the  children  of  men,  to  the  end 
of  the  world )  for  the  expression  is  unlimited,  in- 
cluding all  persons,  ages,  and  times.  And  all  the  holy 
angels  of  God  in  heaven,  and  the  spirits  of  the  just 
made  perfect,  continually  and  forever  do  the  will  of 
God  to  all  perfection,  in  which  also  standeth  their 
life  eternal.  And  we  are  here  taught  to  pray  that 
it  ma}7  likewise  be  the  same  here  on  earth.  And  the 
next  petition  in  this  divine  and  most  perfect  prayer 
regard eth  ourselves,  with  respect  to  our  present  per- 
sonal divine  nourishment  and  sustenance  while  here 
on  earth,  and  forever;  and  that  is,  'Give  us  this  day 
our  daily  bread/  even  the  true  bread  which  the 
Father  giveth  from  heaven,  the  bread  of  life,  which 
giveth  life  unto  the  world,  of  which  mankind  may 
eat  and  not  die, — the  living  bread  which  comes  down 


160 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


from  heaven,  of  which  whosoever  shall  eat,  he  shall 
live  forever,  which  is  likewise  that  flesh  which  Christ 
giveth  for  the  life  of  the  world,  and  unto  him  who- 
soever shall  come  shall  not  hunger  or  thirst  any  more. 
This  is  that  ever-living  and  heavenly  bread  which 
sfiveth  life  unto  the  world.  This  is  the  hidden  manna, 
more  excellent  than  that  in  the  wilderness, — the  tree 
of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God. 
By  the  breaking  of  this  bread  is  the  Son  of  God 
made  manifest  unto  him  who  eateth  thereof,  to  be 
that  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life.  This 
is  the  same  heavenly  bread  which  the  apostles  and 
primitives  loved,  desired,  and  prayed  for,  that  they 
might  be  continual  partakers  of  it,  and  which  we 
also  have  prayed  for,  do  pray  for,  and  are  mercifully 
and  graciously  heard  of  the  Holy  One  unto  whom 
we  do  pray.  By  this  bread  we  grow  and  increase 
from  stature  to  stature,  and  from  strength  to  strength, 
unto  eternal  life  and  everlasting  establishment  and 
perfection  in  glory,  in  and  with  him  who  liveth  and 
reigneth  over  all,  in  all,  and  above  all,  and  is  worthy 
for  evermore. 

u  The  next  petition  is,  '  Forgive  us  our  trespasses, 
as  we  forgive  them  who  trespass  against  us.'  This 
petition  also  is  suited  to  general  or  universal  com- 
munion. For,  as  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of 
the  glory  of  God,  all  and  every  one  ought,  being  con- 
vinced of  sin  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  confess  their 
sins  unto  him  who  convinceth  them,  and  to  desire 
forgiveness, — whether  of  God,  for  sins  committed 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


161 


against  him,  or  for  trespasses  done,  one  against 
another.  In  both  cases,  confession  is  to  be  made  to 
the  offended,  and  forgiveness  requested,  before  we 
can  reasonably  expect  it,  whether  of  God  or  man. 
For  as  to  our  sins  against  God,  it  is  said,  1  If  we  con- 
fess our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness  and 
sin.'  And  as  to  our  trespasses  one  against  another, 
it  is  said,  1  If  thy  brother  shall  trespass  agaiust  thee, 
go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  him  and  thee  alone  : 
if  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother/ 
&c.  Or,  again,  < If  thy  brother  trespass  against  thee, 
rebuke  him  j  and  if  he  repent,  forgive  him.'  And  as 
God  is  merciful  unto  all,  so  he  would  have  us  all  be 
merciful  one  to  another ;  and  therefore  Christ  the 
Lord  commenteth  upon  this  petition  in  an  especial 
manner,  sajung,  '  If  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses, 
your  heavenly  Father  will  also  forgive  you ;  but  if  ye 
forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will  your 
heavenly  Father  forgive  your  trespasses/  In  all 
which  the  Lord  teacheth  us  to  be  like  himself,  full 
of  goodness,  mercy,  and  social  virtue,  doing  the  will 
of  the  Father  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven,  in  a 
state  of  restoration,  redemption,  righteousness,  and 
true  holiness,  the  end  whereof  is  life  eternal,  which 
is  opposite  to  a  state  of  sin,  in  the  nature  of  things, 
and  [is]  the  end  of  the  coming  and  manifestation  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

"  The  next  petition  is,  '  Lead  us  not  into  tempta- 
tion, but  deliver  us  from  evil/    Jesus,  when  he  was 
14* 


163 


BRIEF    M E  M  01 B  OF 


baptized,  went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water;  and 
lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto  him,  and  he  saw 
the  Spirit  of  God  descending,  like  a  dove,  and  light- 
ing upon  him ;  and  lo,  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 
Then  was  Jesus  led  up  of  the  Spirit  into  the  wilder- 
ness, to  be  tempted  of  the  devil.  Mankind  in 
general,  being  already  in  sin,  and  under  condemnation 
in  the  first  Adam,  and  Jesus  the  Saviour  only  free, 
being  the  Lamb  of  God,  without  spot  or  blemish,  it 
was  necessary,  in  the  counsel  of  the  Father,  that  he 
should  be  tempted  of  the  evil  one,  the  common  enemy 
and  tempter  of  mankind;  that  thereby,  even  as  man, 
he  might  have  a  fellow-feeling  of  our  weakness  and 
infirmities,  and  be  the  supporter  of  such  as  she  aid 
believe  and  trust  in  him  and  be  tempted  of  evil; 
which  petition  is  also  obtained  by  those  who  are  his 
through  faith  in  his  name.  For  as  God  tempteth  no 
man,  nor  is  he  himself  tempted  of  evil,  those  who 
are  tempted  [yield  to  temptation]  are  led  aside  of 
their  own  lusts,  and  enticed ;  so  he  suffereth  none  of 
his  to  be  J  tempted  above  what  they  are  able,  but  will 
with  the  temptation  also  make  a  way  to  escape,  that 
they  may  be  able  to  bear  it;'  and  it  is  no  sin  to  be 
tempted  unless  we  yield.  These  temptations  are  suf- 
fered upon  those  who  believe  and  are  thereby  become 
the  children  of  God,  that  they  may  have  full  trial  of 
the  manifold  grace  of  God  toward  them,  of  their 
faith,  patience,  and  love  toward  God,  and  one  toward 
another  in  him,  and  experience  his  blessing  upon 


THOMAS  STORY. 


163 


them,  and  come  forth  from  under  the  weight  and 
burden  of  temptations,  as  from  the  furnace  of  afflic- 
tion, as  pure  gold  seven  times  tried  therein,  and  not 
as  reprobate  silver  or  dross,  remaining  as  we  are  by 
nature,  in  a  sinful,  sensual,  polluted  condition,  ever 
learning,  and  never  able  to  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Truth,  or  salvation  by  him. 

"  The  last  and  concluding  part  is  a  just  and  sin- 
cere acknowledgment  unto  the  Father,  that  we  can 
do  nothing  without  him,  but  by  him ;  '  for  his  is  the 
kingdom,  and  the  power'  to  enter  therein,  by  which 
alone  we  can  do  all  these  things,  and  our  whole  duty 
unto  his  holy  requirings,  whether  with  respect  unto 
the  Lord  himself,  or  one  toward  auother,  as  we  ought. 
And  therefore,  as  we  have  no  power  or  sufficiency 
of  our  own,  no  glory  or  praise  belongeth  unto  us  for 
the  work  required  and  wrought,  either  during  our 
conduct  and  abode  in  this  world,  or  in  the  world  to 
come.    And  so  this  matter  rested  without  reply." 

Though  much  has  been  already  introduced  here  on 
the  subject  of  water-baptism,  we  cannot  refrain  from 
quoting  the  following  reply  of  Thomas  Story's  to  a 
certain  James  Burtell,  who  had  undertaken  to  prove 
that  Friends  were  no  Christians,  because  they  denied 
baptism  with  water,  offering  that  often-quoted  but 
much-misunderstood  text  of  Scripture,  "  Go  ye,  there- 
fore, and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  [iuto]  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  and  assuming  that  in  that  text  water-bap- 
tism only  is  commanded, — reasoning  from  the  pre- 


164 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


mises,  viz.,  that  herein  some  baptism  was  com- 
manded to  the  apostles,  and  that  baptism  must  be 
such  as  they  were  capable  of  performing ;  but  they 
were  not  capable  of  performing  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  yet  with  water  they  could  baptize : 
therefore  water-baptism  only  can  be  here  commanded, 
— which  conclusion,  if  we  admit  the  truth  of  the 
middle  term  in  the  premises,  would  indeed  be  irre- 
futable. We  shall  see,  however,  how  Thomas  Story 
disposes  in  a  few  words  of  this  artistic  syllogism. 

"  I  answered,  '  You  may  observe  here  that  the 
force  of  your  minister's  argument  lies  in  this,  that  the 
apostles  of  Christ  could  not  baptize  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  but  only  with  water,  and  therefore  it  must  be 
water-baptism.  I  grant  that  the  apostles  could  not 
baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  at  their  own  pleasure, 
when,  and  whom,  and  where  they  would,  in  their 
own  wills,  as  your  ministers  can  and  do  administer 
what  they  call  and  have  taught  you  to  believe  and 
think  is  Christ's  baptism ;  but  that  the  apostles 
could  not  instrumentally  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
I  deny.  For  that  institution  is  introduced  after  this 
manner: — "And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them, 
saying,  All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in 
earth :  go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  bap- 
tizing them  in  [or  into]  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you; 
and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the ,  end  of 
the  world."    "And  he  said  unto  them,  [at  the  same 


THOMAS  STORY. 


165 


time,]  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  every  creature.' '  "  He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not 
shall  be  damned."  And  that  this  was  not  water-bap- 
tism plainly  appeareth  by  what  the  Lord  further 
commanded  his  apostles  at  the  same  time, — that  they 
should  not  depart  from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the 
promise* of  the  Father,  which  he  had  told  them  of 
before  he  suffered  : — "  For  John  truly  baptized  with 
water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
not  many  days  hence." 

"  '  This  baptism  here  commanded  is  not  water-bap- 
tism, for  the  apostles  were  in  the  practice  of  water- 
baptism  in  John's  time,  before  the  institution  of  this 
baptism )  and  it  is  here  contradistinguished,  as 
belonging  to  John's  dispensation,  and  which  some 
practised — though  we  have  so  few  instances  of  it  that 
it  can  hardly  be  called  practice  with  propriety — after 
the  beginning  of  the  ministration  of  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  none  can  administer  without 
the  immediate  presence  and  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  Spirit  of  Christ,  given  to  that  end.  But  some 
apostles  both  could  and  did  administer  water-baptism, 
in  the  proper  dispensation  of  it,  without  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  was  not  then  given  as  a 
dispensation,  and  which  any  bold  and  busy  undertaker 
at  this  day  can,  and  some  do,  administer,  by  the 
ordinary  powers  of  nature,  without  the  assistance  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  on  that  account,  which  they  neither 
know  nor  believe  in.    But  the  baptism  here  com- 


166 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


mauded  neither  the  apostles  themselves  could,  much 
less  can  any  one  else,  administer,  but  by  the  imme- 
diate power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  co-working  in  them, 
with  them,  and  by  them;  and  therefore  Christ  pro- 
mised that  they  should  "receive  power  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  come  upon  them;"  and  then,  and  not 
till  then,  they  were  his  proper  witnesses,  but  could 
baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  until  they  themselves 
were  baptized  therewith.  And  as  He  who  hath  all 
power  in  heaven  and  earth  promised  to  be  with  them 
by  that  power  always,  in  that  and  all  other  works  of 
the  gospel  ministry,  to  the  end  of  the  world,  so  they 
went  forth  and  preached  everywhere,  "  the  Lord 
working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with 
signs  following."  And  this  promise  relates  not  only 
to  them  then  present,  but  to  all  the  true  ministers  of 
Christ,  according  to  their  various  gifts,  degrees,  and 
services,  from  thenceforth  throughout  all  ages ;  yet, 
as  a  just  check  and  prohibition  to  all  bold,  forward, 
and  presumptuous  spirits,  it  is  also  written  concern- 
ing the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  shall  not  "  speak  of  him- 
self, but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak : 
and  he  will  show  you  things  to  come." 

"  'And  as  Christ  himself  is  the  Truth,  and  in  the 
days  of  his  flesh  was  always  subject  unto  the  Father 
and  under  his  direction,  and  imputed  all  his  words 
and  works  to  him,  by  this  text  it  appears  to  be  so 
still,  and  ever  will  be,  in  all  the  work  of  the  redemp- 
tion and  salvation  of  mankind.  Then  what  and  who 
art  thou,  0  dark,  carnal,  sinful,  polluted  man,  of  all 


THOMAS  STORY. 


167 


thy  fallen  kind,  who  darest  assume  upon  thyself  to 
intermeddle  with  the  things  of  God,  which  thou  dost 
not  understand,  nor  so  much  as  believe  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  now  to  be  given,  and  waited  for,  as  the 
immediate  guide,  leader,  and  director  in  the  things 
of  God  and  work  of  the  gospel  ?  Thou  art  an  un- 
believer, and  therefore  in  a  state  of  condemnation; 
thou  art  not  saved  thyself,  and  how  then  canst  thou 
be  a  saviour  upon  Mount  Zion,  instrumentally  to 
save  others  in  the  Spirit  of  Him  who  is  the  great 
Saviour  of  all  V 

"  Then  James  Burtell  questioned  whether  there  is 
such  a  text  in  Scripture  as  that  '  John  truly  bap- 
tized with  water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence;'  but  my  com- 
panion, Joseph  Glaister,  who  was  very  ready  that 
way,  producing  the  place,  the  priest  was  silent  as  to 
that. 

"  Then  I  insisted  that  since  I  had  been  interrupted 
before  I  had  finished  the  point  I  was  then  upon,  it 
was  but  reasonable  and  fair  that  I  might,  without 
further  interruption,  proceed  to  finish  it;  and  so 
proceeded  thus,  viz. : — 

"'Having  proved  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  not  water-baptism,  is  instituted,  in  the 
text  and  context  in  question,  and  the  full  capacity 
of  the  apostles  and  ministers  of  Christ  to  perform  it 
in  his  Spirit  and  power,  I  now  proceed  to  prove  that 
they  did  baptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost  accordingly. 
But  before  I  proceed  any  further,  that  we  may  not 


168 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


beat  the  air  through  any  misunderstanding  or  differ- 
ent applications  of  words  to  things,  favor  me  with 
thy  definition  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
what  thou  understands  by  it,  that  I  may  know 
whether  we  by  the  same  terms  mean  the  same 
things/ 

"  He  answered,  rightly,  '  That  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  the  descending  of  the  Holy  Spirit  into 
the  hearts  of  those  who  believe  and  wait  for  his 
coming.'  '  Very  well,'  said  I :  '  but  is  this  all  V 
And  upon  a  short  pause  he  answered,  'No :  he  work- 
eth  in  mankind  the  work  of  regeneration ;  and  this 
is  his  complete  baptism.' 

"I  answered,  'Well,  then,  I  now  prove  that  the 
apostles,  in  the  wisdom  and  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  were  instrumental  ministers  of  this  baptism. 
First,  when  Peter  preached  to  Cornelius  and  his 
household,  "  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which 
heard  the  word."  And  in  his  relation  of  the  passage, 
in  his  defence  before  the  apostles  and  elders,  before 
whom  he  was  accused,  as  if  he  had  committed  an 
error,  and  broken  the  law  or  custom  of  the  Jews,  by 
preaching  to  the  Gentiles  and  eating  *vith  them, 
though  their  mission  was  expressly  to  all  nations,  he 
defines  the  falling  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  them  to  be 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  mentioned  by  Christ 
in  the  text  in  question,  or  context,  in  these  words: 
— "And  as  I  began  to  speak,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell 
on  them  as  on  us  at  the  beginning  :  then  remembered 
I  the  word  of  the  Lord,  how  that  he  said,  John  indeed 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


169 


baptized  with  water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost."  ' " 

After  this,  Burtell  adduced  the  instance  of  the 
eunuch's  baptism  by  Philip,  quoting  the  text,  "  See, 
here  is  water:  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized?" 
Our  Friend's  reply  to  this,  as  showing  the  marked 
distinction  between  the  two  baptisms, — viz.,  that  of 
John  with  water,  and  that  which  Christ  sent  his 
disciples  to  perform, — is  worthy  of  the  reader's  care- 
ful perusal. 

"'That  the  baptism  was  not  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  but  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  only ;  and  this  shows  it  was  no  other 
but  a  continuance  of  John's  water-baptism,  of  which 
they  were  in  practice  before  Christ  suffered,  and 
before  the  command  in  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  That  it 
has  no  reference  to  infants,  though  the  word  "children" 
is  there ;  for  all  Israel,  young  and  old,  are  called  the 
children  of  Israel,  as  one  generation  :  the  aged  as 
well  as  infants  are  the  children  of  their  ancestors. 
And  the  promise  there  mentioned  has  no  relation  to 
water-baptism,  but  to  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
promised  of  God  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  to  Israel : — "I 
will  pour  my  spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing 
upon  thine  offspring,"  kc.  And  I  deny  thy  conclu- 
sion barely  from  the  practice ;  for  the  apostles  prac- 
tised circumcision,  vows,  shavings,  <tc,  and  were  in 
the  practice  [as  said]  of  water-baptism,  before  this 
command  was  given.  The  apostle  to  the  "weak 
became  as  weak,  to  all  men  all  things,  that  by  all 
15 


170 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


means  he  might  gain  some."  But  his  practice  in  all 
he  did  is  no  warrant  to  others  to  follow  him ;  for  he 
baptized  with  water,  and  yet  confesses  fairly  he  was 
not  sent  of  Christ  to  do  it, — so  that  neither  his  prac- 
tice, nor  that  of  the  other  apostles,  is  cogent. 

"  'And  farther,  there  is  not  one  instance  in  all  the 
New  Testament  where  any  apostle  baptized,  or  com- 
manded any  to  be  baptized,  with  water  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost;  but  where  any 
water  is  used,  it  is  only  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  for  the  most  part  to  the  Jews.  For,  as  the  Jews 
were  to  have  remission  of  sins  by  faith  in  Christ,  as 
born  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  Spirit,  upon  that  faith, 
is  a  gradual  manifestation,  so  the  Gentiles  were  to 
have  remission  of  sins  by  faith  in  him,  as  he  is  the 
"  true  light  which  lighteth  every  man  who  cometh 
into  the  world. "  So  that  baptism  was  no  means  to 
them  of  receiving  the  Spirit,  whatever  it  might  be  to 
the  Jews,  or  Jewish  proselytes. 

"  'Again,  you  may  note  that  the  Apostle  Paul,  who 
was  sent  to  the  Gentiles  in  a  particular  manner, 
denies  that  baptism  with  water  was  any  part  of  his 
commission;  for  he  saith  expressly,  "Christ  sent  me 
not  to  baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel."  Now,  since 
this  great  and  first  minister  of  the  Gentiles  had  no 
commission  to  baptize  with  water,  we  may  justly  con- 
clude it  was  not  necessary  to  that  work;  and  if  not 
to  our  forefathers,  then  not  to  us.  And  if  he  had  no 
commission,  then  none  could  succeed  him  in  a  com- 


T  II  O  M  A  S    S  T  O  11  Y. 


171 


mission;  and  then  the  pretence  of  all  to  baptize  the 
Gentiles  is  vain.' 

"I  added,  further,  that,  my  adversary  being  almost 
on  ground,  1  That  though  the  apostles  did  baptize 
some,  especially  of  the  Jews,  and  it  may  be  some 
others,  in  the  beginning  of  the  gospel  dispensation; 
yet  it  does  not  follow  that  there  was  any  necessity  for 
its  continuance.  For  as  Christ  said,  "  I  have  yet 
many  things  to  say,  but  you  are  not  able  to  bear 
them  j"  so  also  the  apostle,  "I  could  not  write  unto 
you  as  unto  spiritual,  but  as  unto  carnal ;  I  have  fed 
you  with  milk,  and  not  with  meat ;  for  hitherto  you 
were  not  able  to  bear  it,  nor  are  you  yet  able."  And 
so  soon  as  the  church  was  able  to  bear  this  doctrine 
of  baptism  in  its  spirituality,  the  two  great  apostles, 
Peter  and  Paul,  both  explained  it  unto  thein.  xVnd 
as  for  a  time,  and  under  divers  administrations,  there 
had  been  divers  baptisms,  yet  at  last  all  centred  in 
one  baptism;  for  John  was  to  decrease,  and  Christ 
to  increase.  That  which  decreases  comes  to  an  end; 
but  that  which  increases  never  ends.  John  has 
decreased  near  seventeen  huudred  years,  and  is  come 
to  an  end,  and  Christ  hath  increased  as  long  to  some, 
— though  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom  is  not  yet 
known  unto  many.  Paul,  or  the  inspired  author  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  speaks  of  baptisms;  but 
to  the  Ephesians  he  saith,  "  There  is  one  Lord,  one 
faith,  and  one  baptism  ;"  and  what  that  one  baptism  is, 
he  also  informs  us  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  : — 
"  We  are  all  baptized  by  oue  Spirit  into  one  body,  the 


172 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


church  j  which  is  his  body,  the  fulness  of  him  that 
filleth  all  in  all."  Again,  Peter  saith,  "  'Tis  not  the 
putting  away  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of 
a  good  conscience  towards  God,  by  the  resurrection 
[i.e.  revelation]  of  Jesus  Christ."  Here  it  is  both 
negatively  and  positively  defined,  what  it  is  not,  and 
what  it  is  :  "it  is  not  the  putting  away  the  filth  of 
the  flesh,"  then  not  water,  which  extends  no  further, 
"but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience,"  which  never 
can  be  but  by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  descending 
into  us,  as  my  adversary  hath  defined  the  Spirit's 
baptism,  and  sanctifying  our  hearts,  working  the  work 
of  regeneration,  and  a  holy  conformity  to  the  will  of 
God,  even  through  that  "  power  that  raised  up  Jesus 
from  the  dead,  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  so  also 
should  we  walk  in  newness  of  life."  And  this  is  the 
inseparable  effect  of  the  one  only  spiritual  and  per- 
manent baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  which  Christ 
is  with  his  ministers,  unto  all  that  are  qualified  to 
receive  it,  to  the  end  of  the  world/  I  had  room 
enough  by  this  time,  and  that  made  me  more  large ; 
but  my  antagonist  to  this  made  me  this  unexpected 
return  : — 

"  'It  is  true  there  is  one  baptism,  but  that  baptism 
hath  two  parts  :  the  one  is  water,  the  other,  Spirit  5 
for  as  the  body  and  soul  make  one  man,  so  water  and 
spirit  make  one  baptism.' 

"  To  this  I  demanded  his  proof  out  of  Scripture, 
wherever  the  Spirit  and  water  made  up  one  baptism, 
or  concurred  in  the  act  of  baptizing,  as  the  Holy 


T  IIOMAS    STOR  Y. 


173 


Ghost,  and  preaching  the  gospel  in  the  power  and 
wisdom  of  the  Spirit,  had  done. 

"He  answered,  That  wheresoever  John's  baptism 
was  duly  administered,  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given  at 
the  same  time ;  which  being  so  palpable  an  error,  I 
greatly  admired  at  this  answer,  and  returned,  'I  will 
prove  the  direct  contrary  by  plain  Scripture,  though 
it  is  thy  part  to  make  good  thy  assertion,  if  thou  canst, 
— viz. :  Acts  xix.,  where  the  apostle  asked  certain 
disciples  whether  they  had  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
since  they  believed.  And  they  said,  "We  have  not 
so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost." 
And  the  apostle  replied,  "  Unto  what,  then,  were  you 
baptized?"  They  said  only,  "Unto  John's  baptism," 
{i.e.  water-baptism,)  and  were  so  far  from  receiving 
the  Holy  Ghost  at  the  same  time  that  they  had  not 
so  much  as  heard  whether  there  was  such  a  thing  in 
being. 

"'Again,  Simon  Magus  had  water-baptism  duly 
administered;  and  yet  he  had  neither  part  nor  lot  in 
the  Holy  Ghost.'" 

Returning  to  Philadelphia,  Thomas  Story  remained 
there  until  the  year  1708-09,  during  which  period  his 
marriage  took  place.  Of  this  period  of  his  life  we 
have  little  or  no  account.  Again  we  find  him  earnest 
and  unwearied  in  the  gospel  work,  taking  his  de- 
parture from  all  he  loved  best  on  earth,  with  the 
intention  of  visiting  the  island  of  Barbadoes.  On 
their  return-voyage  their  vessel  was  taken  by  a 
French  privateer,  and  they  were  carried  prisoners 
15* 


174 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


into  a  port  on  the  island  of  Hispaniola,  and  he  was 
kept  a  prisoner  by  the  French  for  more  than  a  year, 
during  which  time  he  had  to  suffer  great  hardships, 
sickness,  and  rough  usage.  He  was  at  last  set  at 
liberty  in  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  and  arrived 
safely  in  Philadelphia  about  the  year  1710.  During 
this  year  his  wife  died;  and  he  has  left  no  account  of 
his  occupation  or  services  during  the  next  four  years, 
but  was  most  probably  employed  in  the  duties  of  his 
several  offices  in  Philadelphia  until  the  year  1714, 
when  he  again  found  his  mind  religiously  engaged  to 
visit  Barbadoes,  England,  and  other  places.  After  a 
sojourn  of  several  months  in  the  island,  and  a  con- 
stant engagement  during  that  time  in  the  attendance 
of  meetings,  he  sailed  for  London,  where  he  arrived 
on  the  6th  of  10th  month,  1714.  Soon  after  his 
arrival  he  went  to  Ruscomb,  on  a  visit  to  William 
Penn,  of  which  he  has  left  the  following  account. 
It  is  a  sad  picture  to  contemplate  of  a  brilliant  intel- 
lect dimmed  by  disease  and  a  noble  heart  worn  out 
by  the  ingratitude  of  those  for  whose  welfare  he  had 
given  up  the  best  years  of  his  well-spent  life. 

"On  the  15th,  being  the  fourth  day  of  the  week, 
accompanied  by  John  Crouch,  with  whom  I  lodged, 
I  went  to  Ruscomb  to  visit  William  Peun  and  his 
family.  He  was  then  under  the  effects  of  an  apo- 
plectic fit  which  he  had  had  some  time  before.  His 
memory  was  almost  lost,  and  the  use  of  his  under- 
standing suspended,  so  that  he  was  not  so  conversable 
as  formerly,  and  yet  as  near  the  Truth,  in  the  love  of 


THOMAS  STORY. 


175 


it,  as  before.  Serein  appeared  the  great  mercy  and 
favor  of  God,  who  looks  not  as  man  looks;  for  though 
to  some  this  accident  might  look  like  a  judgment, 
and  no  doubt  his  enemies  so  accounted  it,  yet  it  will 
bear  quite  another  interpretation,  if  it  be  considered 
how  little  time  of  rest  he  ever  had  from  the  impor- 
tunities and  the  affairs  of  others,  to  the  great  hurt  of 
his  own,  till  this  happened  to  him,  by  which  he  was 
rendered  incapable  of  all  business,  and  yet  as  sen- 
sible of  the  enjoyment  of  Truth  as  at  any  time  in  his 
life. 

"  "When  I  went  to  the  house  I  thought  myself 
strong  enough  to  see  him  in  that  condition;  but  when 
I  entered  the  room  and  perceived  the  great  defect  of 
his  expressions  for  want  of  memory,  it  greatly  bowed 
my  spirit,  under  a  consideration  of  the  uncertainty 
of  all  human  qualifications,  and  what  the  finest  of 
men  are  soon  reduced  to.  Nevertheless,  no  insauity 
or  lunacy  at  all  appeared  in  his  actions,  and  his  mind 
was  in  an  innocent  state,  as  appeared  by  his  very 
loving  deportment  to  all  that  came  near  him ;  and 
that  he  had  still  a  good  sense  of  Truth  was  plain,  by 
some  very  clear  sentences  he  spoke  in  the  life  and 
power  of  Truth,  in  an  evening  meeting  we  had  there, 
wherein  we  were  greatly  comforted ;  so  that  I  was 
ready  to  think  this  was  a  sort  of  sequestration  of  him 
from  all  the  concerns  of  this  life,  which  so  much 
oppressed  him, — not  in  judgment,  but  in  mercy,  that 
he  might  have  rest,  and  not  be  oppressed  thereby  to 
the  end." 


176 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


After  a  visit  to  his  father,  who  was  still  living  at 
Justicetown,  though  by  this  time  very  aged,  and  the 
attendance  of  numerous  meetings  in  various  places, 
he  sailed  from  Yarmouth  on  a  voyage  to  Holland. 
In  that  country  he  met  with  great  kindness,  especially 
from  a  sect  there  called  the  Minists,  who  in  many 
respects  closely  resembled  Friends :  these  people, 
whenever  he  met  with  them,  tendered  him  the  use 
of  their  meeting-houses  and  assisted  him  in  his 
labors  as  far  as  they  were  able.  At  Hamburg  he 
heard  from  a  Friend  there  the  following  anecdote  of 
the  Russian  Czar,  Peter  the  Great. 

u  In  the  year  1712,  the  Czar  of  Muscovy,  being  in 
the  city  of  Frederickstadt,  in  Holstein,  about  two 
days'  journey  from  hence,  with  five  thousand  soldiers 
to  assist  the  Danes  against  the  Swedes,  after  he  had 
quartered  his  men,  inquired  of  one  of  the  burgo- 
masters whether  there  were  any  of  the  people  called 
Quakers  there.  The  said  officer  told  him  there  were 
a  few.  Then  the  Czar  asked  him  if  they  had  a 
meeting  in  that  place.  The  officer  told  him  they 
had.  Then  the  Czar  bid  the  officer  let  the  Friends 
know  that  if  they  would  appoint  their  meeting  that 
forenoon,  being  the  first  day,  he  would  be  at  it.  The 
officer  replied  that  there  were  thirty  of  his  soldiers 
in  the  meeting-place,  so  that  there  could  not  be  any 
meeting  in  it.  When  the  Czar  heard  that,  he  was 
angry  that  they  had  put  soldiers  there,  and  sent  an 
order  by  one  of  his  own  captains,  that  they  should  all 
be  put  out  forthwith,  and  that  notice  should  be  given 


THOMAS    STOR  Y. 


177 


to  the  Friends  by  the  captain,  that  if  they  would  ap- 
point their  meeting;  he  would  come  to  it.  Accord- 
ingly, the  officer  gave  notice  thereof  to  the  said  Jacob 
Hagen,  and  Philip  Defatr.  a  public  Friend  who  lived 
there,  and  not  only  ordered  the  soldiers  out  of  the 
room,  but  made  them  take  away  all  they  had  brought 
thither.  The  place  being  made  ready,  they  had  their 
meeting  at  the  second  hour  afternoon,  to  which  the 
Czar  came,  and  brought  with  him  Prince  Menzikoff, 
of  Muscovy,  the  General  Dolgorucky,  and  several 
other  of  his  dukes,  generals,  secretaries  of  state,  and 
other  great  men ;  and,  a  great  crowd  following,  he 
ordered  the  door  to  be  shut  as  soon  as  a  competent 
number  were  in  to  sit  comfortably;  and  many  more 
came  to  the  windows.  After  some  time  of  silence, 
Philip  Defair  preached  the  doctrine  of  Truth  among 
them,  and  all  sat  very  quietly,  but  especially  the  Czar, 
who  sat  very  gravely  all  the  time  of  silence;  and  all 
the  others,  being  awed  by  his  example  and  presence, 
did  so  likewise.  But,  the  Muscovite  lords  and 
generals  not  understanding  the  language,  the  Czar 
himself,  understanding  it  pretty  well,  interpreted 
to  them  what  was  declared,  with  much  gravity  and 
seriousness,  commending  what  he  heard,  saying 
that  whoever  could  live  according  to  that  doctrine 
would  be  happy.  A  Friend  after  this  presenting 
him  with  Robert  Barclay's  Catechism  and  Apology, 
in  High  Dutch,  he  said  he  would  have  them  trans- 
lated and  printed  in  his  own  language. " 

Though,  at  the  period  of  which  we  write,  there 


178 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


appear  to  have  been  but  few  Friends  in  Holland  and 
Germany,  yet  the  labor  of  early  Friends  in  former 
years  had  not  been  entirely  without  its  good  fruits; 
for  in  most  of  the  places  visited  by  Thomas  Story 
he  found  a  few  who  assembled  in  their  own  houses, 
or  elsewhere,  and  held  their  meetings  as  Friends, 
often  in  silence,  as  they  had  little  ministry  among 
themselves.  But,  besides  these,  he  found  many 
earnest  seekers  after  truth,  who  could  not  unite  with 
the  established  way  of  worship  and  who  sought 
earnestly  for  a  more  inward  and  spiritual  religion. 
By  such  he  was  everywhere  joyfully  received;  and 
to  them  his  ministry  came  as  tidings  indeed  of  great 
joy  and  salvation. 

At  Dokuui,  a  town  in  Friesland,  a  certain  Corsten, 
a  Minist  of  that  place,  related  to  him  a  remarkable 
anecdote  of  Sarah  Collier,  a  Friend  who  had  been 
there  some  years  before  and  desired  to  have  the  use 
of  their  meeting-house,  which  was  refused  her;  but 
he  himself,  secretly  desiring  to  be  at  such  a  meeting, 
gave  her  the  use  of  his  own  house,  where  the  meet- 
ing was  accordingly  held.  After  it  was  over,  Sarah 
Collier,  expressing  a  desire  to  see  his  wife,  who  had 
suffered  from  disease  for  fourteen  years  and  had 
hitherto  been  able  to  find  no  relief,  was  conducted 
into  her  chamber,  and  after  some  time  felt  concerned 
to  pray  for  her  recovery;  and,  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  husband  and  all  who  saw  it,  the  sick  woman  was 
almost  immediately  restored  to  health.  This  circumr 
stance  is  related  by  our  Friend  simply  as  he  heard  it, 


THOMAS  STORY. 


179 


and  without  comment;  and  we  can  find  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  truth  of  it.  As  we  discover  nothing' 
further  in  the  account  of  this  Holland  journey  that 
appears  desirable  to  insert  here,  we  shall  pass  over  a 
considerable  period,  and,  without  any  close  adherence 
to  the  regular  sequence  of  events  as  they  occurred, 
give  such  extracts  from  his  journal  as  seem  most 
likely  to  impress  and  enlighten  the  minds  of  those 
under  whose  observation  they  may  come.  During 
the  year  1717,  at  a  meeting  near  the  town  of  Water- 
ford,  in  Ireland,  where  Thomas  Story  was  then  on  a 
religious  visit,  he  expressed  the  following  views  upon 
that  much  discussed  and  vexed  question  of  predesti- 
nation, which  at  that  da}-,  whatever  it  may  be  now, 
seems  to  have  been  a  prominent  article  in  the  creed 
of  some  religious  bodies.  They  seem  to  us  to  be,  at 
all  events,  as  satisfactory  an  explanation  of  the  diffi- 
culty as  any  thing  we  have  elsewhere  met  with.  He 
says  : — 

u  Another  point  also  fell  in  my  way, — viz.,  predes- 
tination ;  wherein  the  Presbyterians  say,  '  That  God, 
from  all  eternity,  hath  decreed  some  men  and  angels 
unto  life  and  salvation,  and  others  unto  damnation 
or  destruction ;  and  the  number  is  so  certain  and 
defiuite  that  not  one  can  be  added  or  diminished  j1 
referring,  for  more  certainty  of  words,  to  the  Greater 
Catechism  of  the  Presbyterians  made  at  Westminster. 
Upon  which  I  thus  remarked,  among  other  things  : — 
'  That  it  is  a  contradiction  in  the  terms  in  which 
they  have  laid  it  down  3  for  the  act  of  the  divine 


ISO 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


Will*  moving  to  a  decree,  must  have  a  beginning  in 
order  to  effect  that  decree,  and  therefore  cannot  be 
from  all  eternity,  or  without  beginning, — which  is  all 
one.  And  if  God  had  at  all  made  such  a  decree, 
whether  before  or  since  the  world  began,  he  had  not 
then  left  any  room  for  that  saying,  "As  I  live,  saith 
the  Lord,  I  desire  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  [whether 
it  might  be  man  or  angel,]  but  rather  that  he  should 
turn  from  his  wickedness  and  live."  But  so  the 
Lord  hath  said  long  since  the  world  began,  and  since 
the  time  of  the  supposed  decree ;  and  therefore  he 
had  not  made  any  such  decree  at  all.  And  again  : 
when  God,  by  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  offered 
salvation  to  all  the  people  of  the  Jews,  especially  at 
Jerusalem,  and  they,  most  of  them,  refusing  it  upon 
the  terms  offered,  he  wept  over  them,  saying,  (i  0 
Jerusalem,  &c,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  &c, 
how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children,  as  a 
hen  gathereth  her  chickens,  &c.,  but  thou  wouldst 
not.  Oh  that  thou  hadst  known,  in  this  thy  day,  the 
things  that  belong  to  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are 
hid  from  thine  eyes."  Xow,  if  God  had  decreed 
these  to  destruction,  why  did  he  then  offer  them  sal- 
vation and  charge  it  upon  themselves  as  an  act  of 
their  own  wills  to  refuse  it  ?  It  cannot  consist  with 
any  notion  of  justice  that  God  should  decree  any  to 
damnation,  without  either  foresight  of  faith,  or  con- 
dition of  works,  and  yet  offer  terms  of  salvation  to 
the  same  persons,  as  in  this  case,  and  seem  to  reject 
them  for  non-compliance,  when  He  that  is  almighty 


T  II  0  M  AS   6  TO  R  Y. 


m 


hath  determined  they  shall  never  comply,' — with 
much  more  to  the  same  effect,  too  long  to  be  inserted 
here." 

Whilst  still  in  Ireland,  on  the  same  religious  visit, 
Thomas  Story  was,  owing  to  the  malicious  perse- 
cution of  a  certain  bishop,  and  without  any  legal 
authority,  cast  into  the  common  jail,  among  the  vilest 
criminals ;  but,  by  the  interference  of  the  sheriff  of 
the  county,  he  did  not  long  remain  there,  being  re- 
moved to  the  sheriff's  house  and  kindly  treated. 
Soon  after,  his  persecutors,  becoming  alarmed  for  the 
consequences  of  their  illegal  action  in  the  matter,  were 
glad  to  have  him  entirely  liberated.  We  call  the 
reader's  attention  to  the  following  extract  from  our 
Friend's  journal  at  this  time,  which  gives  us  a  beau- 
tiful illustration  of  the  true  nature  of  the  rights  of  the 
subject  in  matters  of  religious  opinion. 

"As  they  advanced  toward  us,  I  began  to  speak 
to  those  persons  with  me  above  mentioned,  concern- 
ing the  grounds  upon  which  my  adversaries  built, — 
viz.,  the  supposition  that  the  Toleration  Act  extended 
not  to  Ireland.  But  I  told  them,  '  They  were  mis- 
taken ;  for  all  men  by  nature  are  free,  till  that  free- 
dom is  taken  away,  either  by  policy  or  force.  Some 
penal  laws,  then,  made  by  an  antichristian  policy  and 
applied  by  tyrannical  force,  having  obstructed  the 
liberty  of  the  subjects  of  England  for  a  time,  yet  that 
liberty  was  not  destroyed  j  but,  that  force  being  re- 
moved, liberty  revived  and  turned  into  her  natural 
channel.  For  there  are  many  statute-laws  in  Eng- 
16 


182 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


land  in  which  there  are  several  terms  and  clauses  of 
enacting  that  in  reality  are  not  initiatory  of  new 
matter  or  new  laws  or  privileges  never  before  claimed, 
or  enjoyed  by  the  people,  of  right,  but  declaratory 
only  of  rights  and  privileges  in  possession  by  them 
and  their  ancestors,  before  endangered  by  evil  coun- 
sellors to  kings  and  princes,  who  for  their  own 
advancement  in  favor  are  too  frequently  the  wicked 
instruments  of  tyrannical  and  enslaving  counsels, 
where  they  meet  with  any  degree  of  propensity  in  the 
tempers  of  their  princes  biassing  them  that  way.  Of 
the  like  nature  is  this  Toleration  Act  in  England; 
which  native  rights  and  privileges  all  Englishmen 
carry  along  with  them  into  all  regions  of  the  world 
where  they  settle  under  the  regimen  of  the  crown  of 
England,  now  upon  a  very  worthy  head,  who  declares 
for  liberty  to  all  his  Protestant  dissenting  subjects 
throughout  his  dominions  the  world  over;  and  that 
indulgence  they  enjoy  everywhere  but  here.  The 
Act  of  Toleration  extends  to  Ireland,  America,  and  all 
the  king's  dominions,  being  declaratory  in  its  own 
nature,  not  only  of  English,  but  also  of  gospel,  liber- 
ties, and  which  we  now  insist  upon  against  the  unjust 
force  of  such  as  oppose  themselves  here.  And  that 
this  is,  and  ever  hath  been,  the  mind  of  the  king  and 
his  predecessors,  since  that  law  was  made,  is  plain,  by 
extending  that  liberty  and  indulgence  here,  as  like- 
wise to  all  English  dominions.  And  not  only  thus, 
but  the  king  has  given  us  his  royal  word  for  his  pro- 
tection, upon  several  addresses,  and  particularly  upon 


THOMAS  STORY. 


183 


one  from  our  last  yearly  meeting  at  London,  the  20th 
day  of  the  od  month,  1716;  and  another  since,  from 
our  last  national  meeting  at  Dublin,  here  in  Ireland, 
to  which  he  was  pleased  to  answer  in  these  words, 
viz.  :  "  I  thank  you  for  the  assurance  of  duty  and 
affection  to  my  person  and  government  contained  in 
this  address;  and  you  may  always  depend  upon  my 
protection."  I  myself  was  present,  with  many  more, 
when  the  king  received  us  with  this  first  address  in 
his  own  bedchamber, — so  great  was  his  condescension 
and  regard  to  his  loving  and  peaceable  subjects.  But 
it  seems  the  mayor  and  magistrates  here  think  it 
their  interest  to  insist  upon  an  opinion  quite  of 
another  nature,  at  the  hazard  of  what  may  follow; 
for  you  may  assure  yourselves  we  are  as  jealous  and 
tenacious  both  of  our  gospel  and  natural  liberties  as 
anybody  here  can  be  bent  to  deprive  us  of  them.' " 

It  might  not  be  unprofitable  to  offer  in  this  place 
a  short  abstract  of  the  sound  and  orthodox  views  of 
the  society  of  Friends,  as  expressed  by  Thomas  Story 
in  a  conversation  which  took  place  between  himself 
and  Lord  Lonsdale  in  relation  to  a  true  knowledge 
of  God,  and  to  the  nature  and  offices  of  the  Saviour 
in  the  great  work  of  redemption.  We  quote  from 
his  journal  as  follows  : — 

"  During  the  time  of  my  abode  in  this  country, 
having  some  concerns  with  the  Lord  Lonsdale,  I  went 
to  Lowther  Hall,  where  he  then  resided,  to  attend 
him  therein,  where  he  gave  me  more  respect  than  I 
desired  or  expected;  and,  after  I  had  finished  my 


184 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


business  with  him,  he  moved  some  discourse  concern- 
ing some  points  of  religion,  there  being  none  else  in 
the  company  but  Counsellor  Blencoe,  a  young  lawyer. 
The  point  chiefly  discussed  was  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  by  what  means  mankind  may  arrive  at  it, — in 
which  I  was  drawn  out  to  this  purpose  :-. — That  many 
wise  and  ingenious  men  apply  themselves  with  suc- 
cess to  the  knowledge  of  things  in  this  life  and 
relating  thereto,  and  yet  keep  not  within  the  strict 
rules  of  virtue,  whereby  their  knowledge  vanishes  in 
the  end,  as  not  subservient  to  the  purposes  of  another 
world.  Wherefore  I  recommended  them  to  a  real 
inquiry  after  the  knowledge  of  God,  as  the  most  noble 
and  most  profitable  subject  a  rational  being  could  be 
concerned  about,  and  altogether  necessary  in  order  to 
our  happiness,  as  well  in  this  as  in  a  future  state, 
which  man  can  never  arrive  at  by  the  utmost  efforts 
of  human  reason.  For  though  a  rational  being  can- 
not deny,  but  conclude  there  is  a  God,  by  the  works 
of  the  creation,  which  produced  not  themselves,  but 
were  produced  by  another,  and  though  reason  must 
conclude  the  Creator  to  be  eternal,  without  beginning 
or  end,  all-wise,  all-knowing,  all-powerful,  omnipre- 
sent, holy,  righteous,  just,  and  good,  in  all  divine 
perfections  unchangeable,  and  though  in  all  these 
attributes  we  read  of  him  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and 
hear  clear  discourses  of  him  frequently  made  by  such 
as  say  they  know  him,  and  perhaps  in  some  measure 
may  j  yet  all  this  is  but  an  image  of  knowledge  as 
to  us,  until  by  the  agency  of  his  own  power  and  will 


THOMAS    S  T  0  R  Y. 


185 


he  is  pleased  to  work  in  us  such  qualifications  where- 
by we  may  perceive  him,  and  say,  '  This  is  he,' 
through  that  holy  and  blessed  medium  which  he 
himself  hath,  in  good  will  to  mankind,  provided  to 
that  end  that  we  may  believe  in  him,  hope  for  him, 
know  him,  have  communion  with  him  in  a  degree  in 
this  life,  and  be  forever  blessed  in  the  enjoyment  of 
him  in  a  future  condition.    Of  this  knowledge  no 
man  can  rightly  conceive  by  any  thing  another  can 
say  who  hath  that  knowledge,  unless  he  to  whom  it 
it  is  said  or  declared  be  in  himself  in  some  degree 
under  the  same  qualifications,  by  which  the  things 
declared  or  spoken  of  present  in  the  mind  and 
understanding,  by  a  kind  of  divine  sensation  or 
intuition,  are  self-evidencing  by  their  own  nature 
and   energy.     As   for   example,  to  a  man  born 
blind  another  can  find  no  terms  whereby  to  give 
him  a  proper  and  distinct  idea  of  colors,  of  light, 
and  the  manner  of  the  discovery  of  objects  by  that 
medium  unto  those  that  see;  whereas  every  one 
that  doth  see  concludes  the  same  thing,  by  a  kind 
of   sensitive   intuition,  at  first  view,  without  the 
expense  of  ratiocination,  or  deducing  conclusions 
from  stated  premises.    Nor,  if  we  can  suppose  any 
one  has  never  in  his  life  been  touched  with  any 
sense  of  that  natural  affection  or  principle  we  call 
love,  can  any,  by  any  terms  he  can  use,  inculcate 
in  such  a  person  any  idea  of  the  thing ;  whereas 
all  the  experienced  are  affected  in  the  same  man- 
ner, though  perhaps  not  to  the  same  degree,  and 
16* 


186  BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 

need  no  other  terms  but  itself  to  inculcate  the  thing. 
Since,  then,  in  natural  things  it  is  impossible  to  ex- 
hibit proper  ideas  to  the  apprehensions  of  those  who 
are  deprived  of  natural  qualifications  and  capacities 
to  receive  them,  how  much  more  so  in  spirituals  !  for 
we  cannot  find  out  proper  terms  by  which  to  exhibit 
them  to  the  view,  understanding,  or  apprehension  of 
ethers,  but  as  we  borrow  them  from  natural  things, 
which  can  never  reach  them  as  they  are.  When  it 
is  said,  God  is  a  Spirit,  a  man  must  'first  have  a  dis- 
tinct idea  of  a  spirit  before  he  can  fix  any  notion  of 
God  by  that  term ;  and  by  the  word  God  we  intend 
to  express  an  awful  and  ineffable  being  •  but  none  of 
these  terms  exhibit  that  being  to  our  sense,  either  in 
fear  or  love.  I  come,  then,  to  some  positive  expression 
of  Christ,  viz.,  u  Xo  man  hath  known  the  Father  but 
the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal 
hini."  "  This  is  life  eternal,  to  know  thee,  the  only 
true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
"No  man  can  come  unto  me  except  the  Father  which 
has  sent  me  draw  him."  "  No  man  hath  seen  God  at 
any  time  :  the  only-begotten  [or  first-begotten]  Son 
of  God,  who  dwelleth  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he 
hath  manifested  [or  revealed]  him." 

"'By  this  it  appears,  1st;  That  God  may  be 
known,  though  not  immediately,  but  by  a  proper 
medium. 

"<2d.  That  this  medium  is  Christ,  the  Word  of 
God,  who,  having  a  reasonable  soul,  and  clothed 
therewith  as  a  veil,  is  homogeneal  to  mankind,  and 


THOMAS  STORY. 


187 


thereby  proportions  the  splendor  of  his  glory,  as  God, 
to  the  state  of  every  soul,  gradually  revealing  or 
manifesting  the  Father  therein,  according  to  the 
degrees  of  purification,  capacity,  and  qualification  he 
worketh  in  it. 

" 1 3d.  That  this  knowledge  is  an  experience,  and 
cives  the  soul  a  certain  evidence  and  assurance  of 
eternal  life  j  and  God  himself  is  that  eternal  life. 

"<4th.  That  as  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  makes 
way  for  the  knowledge  of  the  Father,  so  the  draw- 
ings of  the  Father  excite  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Son. 

a'It  is  not  therefore  the  knowledge  of  the  things 
of  God,  or  of  all  his  attributes,  or  of  any  or  all  for- 
mal truths,  but  of  God  himself,  who  is  the  essential 
Truth,  in  which  our  happiness  stands  and  forever 
shall  remain.  For  there  are  essential  truths,  and 
there  are  formal  truths.  Jesus  Christ,  the  wisdom 
of  God  and  power  of  God,  is  that  essential  Truth  • 
and  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,  was  incarnate,  lived 
as  a  man  here  on  earth,  was  crucified  as  a  propitia- 
tion for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  died,  rose  again, 
ascended,  is  glorified  in  heaven,  &c,  are  all  formal 
and  unalterable  truths  j  and  yet  the  knowledge  of  all 
these  does  not  give  life  eternal,  until  the  soul  comes 
to  experience  the  indwelling  of  the  essential  Truth, 
in  its  nature  and  being,  through  that  holy  and  blessed 
medium,  homogeneal  unto  all,  which  cannot  be  until 
we  be  reduced  unto  a  state  of  holiness  and  purity  of 
mind.    And  therefore,  to  illustrate  all  I  have  said 


188 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


in  a  practical  way,  give  me  leave  to  add  a  little 
further.  Whilst  I  was  yet  in  a  natural  and  uncon- 
verted state,  I  believed  the  being  of  G-od,  and  all  his 
attributes ;  but  I  did  not  actually  know  God  to  be 
righteous  or  holy,  till  he  reproved  unrighteousness  or 
unholiness  in  rue :  or  merciful  and  good,  until, 
through  condemnation  of  evil,  convincing  me  of  evil 
in  myself,  he  also  pardoned  the  acts  of  sin,  and 
destroyed  the  effects  thereof,  by  the  agency  of  his 
own  power,  working  that  change  that  is  meet,  accord- 
ing to  his  own  will,  through  which  I  experience  both 
his  goodness  and  mercy ;  nor  had  I  known  him  as  a 
consuming  fire,  unless  by  the  refining  operation  of  his 
Spirit  he  had  consumed  my  corruptions,  or  begun 
that  work;  or  that  he  is  love,  divine  and  unspeak- 
able love,  unless,  by  his  own  power,  he  had  fitted  me 
in  some  measure  to  enjoy  the  influences  of  his  grace 
in  a  state  of  holiness,  in  which  he  rules  as  a  Monarch 
in  the  soul,  according  to  that  saying,  "  The  kingdom 
of  heaven  stands  not  in  meats  and  drinks,  [no  out- 
ward or  natural  enjoyments,]  but  in  righteousness 
and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  which  I  know, 
through  grace,  infinitely  transcends,  even  in  this  life, 
all  that  can  be  named  besides. 

"  'And  though  formal  truths  are  commonly  clouded 
and  confounded  by  the  perverse  and  ignorant  reason- 
ings of  the  learned  of  this  world,  and  numerous 
opinions  and  sects  are  produced  and  engendered 
thereby,  yet  the  essential  Truth  is  self-evidencing, 
and  whenever  it  appears  in  the  soul  she  cannot  deny 


THOMAS  STORY. 


189 


or  doubt,  but  by  the  cogency  of  his  power  and  virtue 
certainly  and  infallibly  concludes  in  herself,  that  this 
is  He.  For  as  there  is  no  way  or  medium  by  which 
we  discover  or  perceive  the  body  of  the  sun  in  the 
firmament  of  heaven  outward,  but  by  the  light  which 
proceeded  from  it,  so  there  is  not  any  medium  by 
which  we  can  know  God*  but  by  his  own  light  and 
Truth,  which  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  efflux  and  emana- 
tion of  his  own  glory  and  being,  and  through  that 
holy  and  homogeneal  mind  wherewith  he  is  veiled. 

"  'And  as  the  light  of  the  sun  carries  along  with  it 
the  power  and  virtue  of  the  sun  wherever  it  shineth 
in  its  unclouded  rays,  and  by  its  influence  nourishes 
and  makes  fertile  the  animal  and  vegetable  worlds, 
even  so,  and  much  more  also,  doth  the  heavenly  Sun 
of  righteousness,  Jesus  Christ,  the  essential  Truth 
and  light  of  the  rational  and  intellectual  world,  arise, 
make  known,  and  manifest  himself  in  the  soul ; 
into  whom,  by  the  rays  of  his  divine  light,  he  intro- 
duced and  dispenseth  the  influence  of  divine  hea- 
venly virtue.  Into  them,  I  mean,  who  believe  and 
obey  in  the  day  of  small  things, — according  to  that 
doctrine  of  an  experienced  holy  man,  "  "Whatsoever 
things  are  reproved  are  made  manifest  by  the  light; 
for  whatsoever  makes  manifest  is  light."  And  ao-ain, 
according  to  that  saying  of  the  Truth  himself,  u  I  am 
the  light  of  the  world  :  whosoever  followeth  me  shall 
not  abide  in  darkness,  but  have  the  light  of  life." 
We  must  therefore  begin  at  the  word  of  reproof,  in 
order  to  the  sure  knowledge  of  God  and  enjoyment 


190 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


of  him,  as  he  is  love  and  an  ocean  of  unspeakable 
pleasure,  and  renounce  the  low  and  sordid  pleasures 
of  the  animal  life,  which  disqualify  for  divine  enjoy- 
ments here  and  hereafter.  But  love  God,  love  his 
judgments  and  reproofs  in  your  hearts,  which  are  all 
in  love,  in  order  to  the  manifestation  of  himself,  ac- 
cording to  that  saying,  "  Every  son  whom  I  love,  I 
rebuke  and  chasten,  saith  the  Lord."  And  I  can 
assure  you,  if  you  can  believe  me,  that  as  I  have 
tasted  of  the  pleasures  of  this  world,  and,  through  the 
goodness  of  God,  known  condemnation  therein;  so, 
through  his  great  mercy,  I  am  favored  of  him  with 
this  certain  experience  in  some  measure, — that  the 
enjoyment  of  God,  in  a  state  of  reconciliation,  is  un- 
declarably  more  excellent  and  eligible  than  all  other 
things,  to  the  experience  whereof  I  would  recom- 
mend and  excite  you.'  This  was  the  substance  of 
what  then  passed  among  us.  The  Lord  Lonsdale,  being 
a  very  ingenious  person,  of  strong  natural  parts  and 
penetration,  asked  me,  1  Since  you  had,  before  you 
came  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  in  the  way  you  have 
spoken  of,  believed  the  being  of  God  and  all  his 
attributes,  did  that  knowledge  make  any  alteration  in 
your  way  of  thinking  on  that  subject,  or  give  you  any 
contrary  sentiments  that  way  V 

"I  replied,  'No;  for  as  reason,  a  constituent 
property  of  man,  is  still  the  same,  and  its  proper  ob- 
jects the  same  also,  so  the  knowledge  of  God  makes 
no  alteration  there. '  " 

To  make  selections,  where  all  is  excellent  and  note- 


THOMAS  STORY. 


191 


worthy,  must  be  ever  a  difficult  task;  but  enough,  we 
hope,  is  given  here  to  show  that  in  the  subject  of  these 
sketches  we  have  a  man  endowed  with  intellectual 
faculties  of  a  high  order,  to  which  has  been  super- 
added the  far  higher  gift  of  true  gospel  ministry, — a 
man  of  the  clearest  insight  into  the  human  heart 
and  into  the  springs  of  human  action,  with  an  intense 
love  of  Truth  for  its  own  sake,  and  ready  always  to 
devote  all  that  he  had  or  might  have  obtained  in  this 
world — nay,  even  life  itself — to  establish  and  dissemi- 
nate it.  Nor  was  he  a  man  only  noteworthy  as  a 
prominent  advocate  of  the  religious  opinions  of  the 
society  of  Friends,  or  as  an  eminent  gospel  minister; 
but,  judging  from  certain  letters  written  by  him  to 
James  Logan,  he  must  also  have  been  a  man  of  con- 
siderable scientific  attainments.  His  views  on  the 
subject  of  geology,  in  relation  to  the  period  of  time 
occupied  in  the  formation  of  the  various  strata  in  the 
earth's  crust,  were  not  only  far  in  advance  of  the  age 
in  which  he  lived,  but,  what  is  remarkable,  agree 
entirely  with  those  which  obtain  at  the  present  day, 
the  results  of  laborious  and  widely-extended  investi- 
gation and  of  true  scientific  induction.  His  letter 
to  James  Logan  on  this  subject  is  well  worth  our 
attention.   We  give  an  extract  from  it,  as  follows  : — 

"London,  12th  month,  8,  1738. 

•'Respected  Friend: — I  am  much  obliged  by 
thine  of  the  19th,  9ber,  which  I  take  this  op- 
portunity to  acknowledge ;  and  it  gives  me  a  sen- 


192 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


sible  satisfaction  thou  took  so  much  notice  of  that 
little  collection  of  sermons  as  to  cause  it  to  be  read 
in  thy  family  with  approbation.  And  I  must  confess 
to  the  honor  of  our  Creator  his  great  goodness  in 
giving  and  preserving  my  strength  of  body  and  mind 
unto  this  age,  through  so  many  and  various  vicissi- 
tudes of  life,  personal  dangers,  fatigues,  troubles,  and 
exercises ;  all  of  which,  in  his  divine  wisdom,  he 
hath  ordered  or  turned  to  my  good,  preserving  me  in 
charity  and  good  will  to  all  mankind,  through  many 
provocations  to  human  nature,  in  which,  in  point  of 
time,  I  may  be  about  ten  years  before  thee,  but 
many  more  short  with  respect  to  acquirements,  for 
which  I  never  had  suitable  opportunity  or  time,  if 
capacity, — but  have  only  this  to  say,  that  by  the  grace 
of  God  I  am  what  I  am.  But  thy  natural  decays 
hinted  at  give  me  some  concern,  considering  how 
useful  thou  might  yet  be  in  the  world,  thine  being 
no  great  age,  in  setting  some  things  in  a  more  lucid 
view,  now  when  kind  Providence  affords  thee,  as  I 
suppose,  a  little  more  leisure  from  those  labors  of 
another  kind  which  thou  was  thoroughly  fitted  for ; 
and  yet  a  more  constant  retirement  may  afford  a 
recruit  unexpected,  which  I  could  heartily  wish,  as 
not  impossible, — though  we  ought  to  resign  ourselves 
and  our  friends  in  all  things  to  the  Divine  will. 

"As  to  any  thing  that  looked  like  controversy  be- 
tween us,  I  never  meant  any.  What  happened  was 
only  occasional.  I  only  intended  to  support,  or,  as 
far  as  I  could,  to  illustrate,  that  great  and  fundamental 


THOMAS  STORY. 


193 


truth,  that  there  is  in  man,  though  not  of  man,  or 
essential  to  him  as  a  creature,  a  Divine  intelligencer 
and  conductor,  which,  if  believed  and  followed,  will 
lead  and  guide  into  all  truth  necessary  to  mankind  in 
their  several  stations  here,  and  in  the  end  to  com- 
plete happiness.  And  without  doubt  is  the  same 
thiog  intended  and  meant  in  thine,  where  thou  sayest, 
'  I  shall  here  say,  that  that  gift  or  grace,  whatever  it 
be,  or  however  men  may  agree  or  disagree  in  explain- 
ing it,  is  the  only  source  of  true  happiness  attainable 
in  this  life,  and  that  the  only  path  that  will  lead  to 
the  true  and  real  enjoyment  of  it  is  that  of  humility, 
and  a  sincere  charity,  without  which  all  profession 
of  religion  is  empty  show  and  no  better  than  hypo- 
crisy, however  attended  with  zeal  or  the  appearances 
of  a  fervent  devotion;  and,  as  in  this  we  undoubtedly 
agree,  I  am  sure  we  are  safe  in  leaving  it  there, — to 
which  I  readily  subscribed,  since  the  gift  or  grace 
of  God  is  the  only  source  of  true  happiness  attainable 
in  this  life,  &c,  and  the  gift  and  receiver  are  not 
the  same  until  united  by  the  efficiency  of  Divine  wis- 
dom and  power.  I  therefore  rest  satisfied  on  this 
point.  As  to  what  I  have  written  as  a  comment 
upon  thy  charge,*  and  on  that  occasion  a  short  hy- 
pothesis concerning  the  commencement  of  inert 
matter  in  order  to  the  establishment  of  the  present 
state  of  things,  I  did  fully  intend  to  send  it,  accord- 

*  He  alludes  to  James  Logan's  celebrated  charge  to  the  grand 
jury,  April  13,  1736.  See  Armestead's  Memoirs  of  James  Logan, 
p.  20. 

17 


194 


BRIEF    MEMOIR  OF 


ing  to  expectation  given  in  a  former  letter,  but  was 
hindered  by  going  into  Yorkshire  last  summer,  where 
I  spent  some  months,  especially  at  Scarborough, 
during  the  season,  attending  the  meetings, — at  whose 
high  cliffs,  and  the  great  variety  of  strata  therein, 
and  their  present  positions,  I  further  learned,  and  was 
confirmed  in,  some  things,  and  that  the  earth  is  of 
much  older  date,  as  to  the  beginning  of  it,  than  the 
time  assigned  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  (as  commonly 
understood,)  which  is  suited  to  the  common  capacities 
of  human  kind,  as  to  six  days'  progressive  work,  by 
which  I  understand  certain  long  and  competent 
periods  of  time,  and  not  natural  days,  the  time  of  the 
beginning  and  finishing  of  all  those  great  works  being 
undiscoverable  by  the  mind  of  man,  and  hid  in  that 
short  period  : — '  In  the  beginning  Grod  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.'  And  then  the  author  goes 
on  to  set  forth  the  further  modifications  of  the  terra- 
queous globe,  and,  I  conjecture,  very  long  after  it  had 
its  being  with  the  rest  of  the  worlds." 

Our  present  limits  forbid  us.  here  to  follow  in  closer 
detail  the  life  and  services  of  this  truly  eminent  man. 
From  the  time  of  his  return  from  Ireland  until  his 
death,  we  find  him  closely  engaged  in  the  attendance 
of  meetings  in  various  places,  and  also  laboring  ear- 
nestly and  with  success  in  soliciting  from  Parliament 
greater  freedom  for  Friends  than  they  had  before 
enjoyed  as  regarded  affirmation  in  courts  of  justice. 
During  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  a  considerable  part 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  the  improvement  and  em 


THOMAS  STORY. 


195 


bellishment  of  the  estate  at  Justicetown,  which  by 
the  death  of  his  father  had  come  into  his  possession. 
In  the  winter  of  1741  he  was  seized  with  a  paralytic 
affection,  which  almost  deprived  him  of  the  power  of 
speech,  and  confiued  him  within-doors  until  the 
return  of  spring,  when  he  partially  recovered,  and 
diligently  attended  the  yearly  meeting  at  London, 
and  afterward  travelled  as  far  as  Carlisle,  where  he 
resided  till  the  23d  of  fourth  month,  1742,  when  in 
the  evening  he  was  taken  with  a  second  and  violent 
attack  of  the  disease,  and  next  morning,  being  then 
in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  the  calm  and 
peaceful  death  of  the  righteous  closed  the  long  labors 
of  a  well-spent  life ;  and  to  his  departure  may  well 
apply  the  words,  "  Mark  the  upright  man,  and 
behold  the  righteous;  for  the  end  of  that  man  is 
peace." 


THE  END. 


STEREOTYPED  BY  L.  JOHNSON  &  CO. 
PHILADELPHIA. 


DATE  DUE 


